One Hot Summer (Take Two)
by Crimson Blast
Summary: Nagisa thinks she's been blessed with the perfect solution to Tamao's depression, a free one month vacation to Okinawa, just the two of them! Her plan is fool proof, she thinks, that is until they discover a couple of dearly beloved graduates happen to be on vacation at the same time and in the same place as them. Weird! (One Hot Summer Remake)
1. Operation: Beach Day!

**Author's Note:** _Hey guys miss me? I promised I'd re-do this, I promised I'd be back! Sadly I ended up losing access to my old account but that doesn't mean I'd abandon a story! I've been steadily working on each of my stories as well as some new ones. I still have no access to my old account (sobs) however I did dig up the old drafts for the chapters (SCORE!). So here it is without further ado, One Hot Summer (Take Two)_

 **~oOo~**

 _I couldn't believe it! Bells were ringing and everyone around me was clapping! The old woman that owned the stall smiled up at me broad grin, digging in the desk beneath her stall. I can't believe this is actually happening! I only played as a joke! The old woman pulled out an envelope and passed it to me and I couldn't stop my hands from shaking as I received it. I thought at some point someone would jump out and reveal that this was just one of those prank television shows, but nobody came. I looked from the envelope to the old woman, still trying to wrap my head around this. I've never won anything before in my life! The storekeeper looked at me with the type of wise gaze I've come to expect from little old women, her smile growing even larger._

" _Congratulations!"_

~oOo~

 **Chapter 1:**

 _ **Operation: Beach Day!**_

Finally! Three days until school officially closes for the summer! This will be my first summer since Shizuma and I became a couple! It's too bad she graduated though... Wait, not like 'too bad' as in 'I wish she didn't graduate' but like 'I wish she was still here'! I'm glad she's getting to move on with her life, going to college and everything, but I'm still going to miss her.

Anyway, before I get myself all depressed on thoughts like that, I have a mission to do: Operation Tamao! Ever since the Etoile elections, Tamao has been depressed and barely even speaking to me, even going out of her way to avoid me sometimes. I can't blame her though. I'm sure she really wanted to be the next Etoile, but I ended up abandoning her in the middle of the competition when Shizuma confessed to me. I must have really hurt her, she worked so hard to become the Etoile, and she deserved it too! And that's why I came up with this plan!

This morning I woke up totally confident and ready to put this plan into effect! When I ran over to her bed though, Tamao had already left for the morning. I asked around, but no one had seen her anywhere.

When breakfast time came, I knew I was bound to see Tamao. We're not allowed to skip out on breakfast. I found her sitting at a seat near the end of the table. Thankfully, the seat next to her was available so I invited myself to take it.

"Tamao, where have you been? I've been looking for you all morning." I pouted in hopes she'd grace me with a laugh. I expected too much though.

"I was just taking an early morning walk. There were some things I had to think about." she tried to add her usual energy to her voice, but I could tell it was forced. She's been taking these early morning walks a lot lately. I must have really hurt her.

"Listen to this Tamao!" I tried to have enough enthusiasm for the two of us. It wasn't all that hard though, I've been super-excited to tell her about this! I could tell she was shocked by my energy today, she even smiled a bit. "I've got something really good tha-" She cut me off when Amane and Hikari, the new Etoile, came to bless us with the morning prayer.

Tamao didn't allow me to talk while we were eating and then left me at the table when she was done and my plate was still half-full because she said I shouldn't waste any of my food and that I was not to leave until I finished every last bite. I ended up scarfing down the food so quickly, I gave myself a massive stomach ache! Still, I had to catch up with Tamao before I lost track of her _again_!

I caught her in the hallway not too far from the dining area and I ran right up to her.

"Christ Nagisa, you scared me!" I didn't mean to surprise her.

"Sorry, but I absolutely have to tell you this!"

She sighed. "What is it that has you so giddy today Nagisa?"

I smiled the biggest I could manage as I pulled the two pieces of paper from my pocket and presented them to her. I couldn't contain myself as I watched her scan over them and the smile on her face grew.

She was stunned. "Two plane tickets... to Okinawa? Does this mean what I think it means?"

I nodded so hard it felt like my head would fall off of my neck. "Yup! I won an entire month stay in Okinawa from a small shop neaby!"

I could see the excitement bubbling up inside her! Suddenly she deflated and she didn't seem so happy anymore. "Why don't you ask Shizuma to go with you?"

"You're my best friend and you've been totally under the weather lately. I can't let you stay like that, I want _you_ to come with me! We can go as soon as school closes for the summer!"

I saw her face light up just before she caught me in her famous bear hug. "Nagisa-chan! Thank you, I can't wait!"

Success!

We spent the rest of the day giggling like the little school girls we were, chatting and making a list of the things we wanted to do once we got to Okinawa. Even though school wasn't officially closed yet, club activities had already ceased for the year and classes were done, leaving us the whole day to plan. Of course new bikinis to hit the beach was our top priority so the next day we spent the whole day looking for ones that were just _perfect_! In the end, neither of us could decide on just one, so we both ended up buying two!

Our last day at school, Tamao and I spent the whole day in our room aside from breakfast and supper. All we did was pack and goof around talking about the things we were going to do! We called a sleep over with Tsubomi, Yaya, Chiyo, Hikari, and even Amane decided to come. It was the last day and everyone was talking about their plans for the summer. Hikari and Yaya were going with Amane to visit her family in Honshu. Tsubomi was going home for the summer and so was Chiyo. Tamao and I were the only two not using our vacation to visit family and everyone was shocked to hear that we were going to Okinawa.

Today, Hikari's cookies were extra good and she made plenty! I had to savor them since they might be my last. Now that she was the Etoile, she was probably going to be too busy for these little sleep overs of ours. Then again, Shizuma never seemed all that busy.

We stayed up until a little past midnight before everyone left to get their rest for their upcoming flights, Tamao and I included. Even in my dreams I was imagining all the fun we were going to have! It would be better if I had another ticket. Then I could have invited Shizuma.

That's when it hit me. Shizuma was moving on in life and I was stuck at St. Miator for a few more years. Suppose while I'm here... she finds someone else? What if she forgets all about me?

I'm not even sure when I woke up but with the thoughts that were now swirling around in my head, I can't imagine that I'll be able to get back to sleep anymore.

When the sun rose I didn't want to open my eyes. I don't even know when I closed them in the first place! Today was the day, but I only got about four hours of sleep last night even though it was like _eight in the morning_. Tamao on the other hand, was well rested and revving to go. She was even more energetic than she used to be. Just the sight of her being so pumped up filled me with energy! With fists high in the air we yelled out in celebration as we made our way out the front gates of St. Miator. We caught a bus to the airport and the wait was about twenty minutes before we got on our flight! Today, everything just seemed to be going perfectly!

During the flight, Tamao and I just kept talking. It's been forever since I've seen her smile that big! It was great to see her finally being her old self again. Even though I was still a little sad about what crossed my mind last night, I didn't allow myself to damper her mood.

After about two and a half hours, we finally landed in Okinawa. The prize I won included a stay at a two star hotel that apparently sponsored the giveaway, but when we got there it wasn't nearly as good as we expected. The place was small and the staff was mean save for the young receptionist guy that greeted us as soon as we walked in. He had short silver hair and deep beautiful amber eyes. He reminded me of an even more cheerful, guy version of Shizuma. He greeted us again as we approached his desk.

"Good afternoon! My name is Shino and I'm the one to contact if anything goes wrong!" he laughed, rubbing the back of his head. "I'm actually just a summer student on the hotel's employment program, but I promise I'll help in any way I can to make your stay the best it could possibly be!"

I wasn't sure what to do at this point, so I just passed him the hotel information thing that came in the envelope with the tickets. He looked at it and smiled, flipping it over to reveal a bar code I never noticed and scanning it into the computer on his desk.

"Alright everything seems legit. So I'm guessing this is the Aoi, Nagisa party of two that won the promotional contest. Congratulations!" he gave us genuine smile. "Come on, let me show you to your room." Shino slid out from behind his desk and gestured for us to follow him, even grabbing our bags for us.

We walked down a long hallway until we reached room 30. He opened the door for us to demonstrate how to use the hotel key before handing both of us our own copies. There was a slot next to the door and all we had to do was slide our key through like swiping a credit card. He brought our bags into the room, gave us a nod and left. Tamao and I wasted no time in unpacking.

When we had everything out of our bags Tamao flipped through some of the pamphlets the hotel left on one of the drawers in the room. "Nagisa there's a beach nearby! See, there's a picture here in this pamphlet!" she squealed with her nose in the folds.

"Really!?"

"Yes! The pamphlet says it's a must-visit during your stay in Okinawa, plus it looks so beautiful in these pictures! We have to go there right now!"

"Eh, right now!?"

It was a little impulsive, I'll admit, but when I saw the pictures and how Tamao was so excited, we just had to go! So in less than twenty minutes, we found ourselves out on the beach, golden yellow sand between our toes and sun blazing over our heads. We put on our new bikinis under t-shirts and shorts before we head out of the hotel, Shino waving us goodbye as we left.

In less than a second after arriving, we ripped off our clothes as we ran towards the water, leaving our shirts, shoes, and sandals like a trail on the sand. We played in the ocean for a bit, splashing each other in the cool water and Tamao almost drowning me when she dragged me under the water! When we got tired of swimming, we came back to the shore and picked up our discarded clothes just before setting up and umbrella and some blankets. We didn't rest though, and somehow found ourselves running across the sand in a very fearsome game of tag!

When we finally blew out all our energy, too tired to walk back to where we set up our things right away, we collapsed onto the sand and erupted in a fit of giggles. As we laid there, a ball came rolling up right next to me and I could hear someone in the distance calling out to us. "Sorry about our ball, it got away from us while we were playing!"

I picked up the ball and rose to my feet, Tamao following suit. It wasn't long before I identified the figure running towards us and I'm pretty sure my jaw fell to the sand. I turned around to look at Tamao to make sure I wasn't seeing things but it seems that she had the same look on her face that I'm sure was on mine. This was actually real!

"Rokujou-senpai!" I yelled out in complete shock.

"Oh! Tamao, Nagisa, what are you two doing here? I never would have expected to see you two in Okinawa!" Rokujou seemed just as shocked as we were.

"Nagisa won two tickets at a small shop near St. Miator. We're here for a month." Tamao pointed out. "Not that I want to pry or anything but what brings you to Okinawa, senpai?"

"Actually I'm spending the summer with-" As if on cue, she was cut off by another voice as someone else came running towards us.

"Miyuki, did you get in trouble!? Where's the ball!?" the beautifully familiar voice rang as the girl approached us.

I could feel my eyes widening as they took in the sight of long flows of silver coming towards us. I ended up swallowing something, but I'm not sure what. I was overcome with joy when the girl stopped and she seemed to finally notice me!

"Shizuma!"


	2. A Beach House in Okinawa

**Author's Note:** _Yes guys, I've finished re-doing all the chapters for this so you don't have to worry about updates. I decided to update weekly (I know I was late, I forgot) because I'm still in the process of revising the sequel and I don't want a large gap between the finish of this and the release of that. I hope you'll continue to put up with me! Read, Review, Rejoice (Holy crap I haven't written that in forever)!_

~oOo~

 **Chapter 2:**

 _ **A Beach House in Okinawa**_

My heart raced as the silver-haired beauty approached us. It may have only been about a month since we last saw each other, but to me it felt like an eternity. By the look on her face, it seemed like she could barely believe this herself. We were scanning over each other and I couldn't help but notice how her small black bikini complimented her curves perfectly. I had to tear my eyes away and look up at her face if I wanted to catch my breath. I could feel my cheeks burning with an oncoming blush as I realized that she was looking over me the way I was looking at her. I was suddenly self-conscious of what I wore, wondering if it may have been too plain or if it complimented me half as well as hers did for her. It was a simple red bikini with a white strawberry print on the right cup.

Shizuma tilted her head playfully and spoke in her usual teasing tone. "My, my, is this my graduation present? My dear little Nagisa has stalked me all the way to Okinawa just to show me her new bikini. I'm honored!"

Before I was able to respond, I felt a hand on my shoulder. I turned around to see Tamao giving me a strange look. She walked up to Shizuma, a stern look on her face. "As I was explaining to Rokujou-san just a moment ago, Nagisa won tickets to Okinawa in a store lottery and decided to take _me_ with her."

Shizuma was now giving Tamao a deadly glare. Tension was growing between the two and I had no idea what to do right now! How do you get between your best friend and your girlfriend? Especially when they're both like this! Thankfully Rokujou-san was able to intervene, probably used to dealing with these types of situations with her experience in the student council. She pulled Shizuma back by her shoulders as she spoke. "I was staying with Shizuma and Shino for the summer. We never expected to run into you two though."

Shino? I heard that name before but I can't quite remember exactly where from. I don't like picking my brain for too long because it usually leads to headaches, so I took the plunge and asked. "Um, if you don't mind me asking, who's Shino?"

Just as Rokujou was about to say something, Shizuma stopped her by pressing a finger to her lips. She stepped closer to me in silence, a sly look on her face. Before I knew what was going on, she grabbed me by my waist and pulled me into her embrace. I felt my body heat up as she brushed her cheeks past mine and staring into her eyes wasn't making things better. Warmth rushed through my body and settled in my cheeks as she lifted my chin with her finger ever so gently. She turned my head and I could feel her breath tickling the tips of my ears. That's when she whispered into my ear, _"It's-a-se-cret."_

Upset and equally embarrassed, I pushed away from Shizuma and pouted. "Geez, you didn't have to do that." I was expecting her to laugh at me like she usually would when I fell for her antics, but that didn't happen. Instead, she smirked and she had _that look_ in her eyes. I knew that look all too well. It was the one she always had just before she'd end up dragging me off somewhere and we ended up... well you know. But why that look now? All I did was pout, are you seriously trying to tell me that my pouting turned her on? Who am I kidding, this is Shizuma Hanazono, the 'play-girl Casanova of Astraea Hill'! EVERYTHING TURNS HER ON!

Eventually Rokujou piped in and snapped me out of my trance. "Where exactly are you two staying?"

I stumbled at first trying to get the words right. This was usually the kind of effect Shizuma had on me. I'm normally clumsy with words, but when she's around, it usually gets extra bad. Taking the time to stop and breath, I was finally able to give a calm response. "We're staying at a hotel nearby."

Shizuma noticeably flinched a bit and her eyes turned serious. She crossed her arms below her chest and began questioning, " _We're_? _Hotel_? Does that mean that you two are sharing a room?" She looked back and forth between Tamao and I and seemed upset for some reason.

Tamao, with a smirk on her face, stepped forward as she announced, "That's right! We're sharing a hotel room, with _one_ bed." I didn't understand why such details were important, but it seems like I'm the only one. Tamao looked confident, Rokujou-san pinched the bridge of her nose with a sigh, and Shizuma looked like she was getting angry.

The tension between the two was back with a vengeance, stronger and more awkward to be caught in the middle of than ever. I'm not sure if I'm the only one that felt it, but the aura rolling off the two of them seemed powerful. It was like an invisible battle was going on right in front of my eyes. It was actually kind of scary. Soon Shizuma stepped back, matching Tamao's smirk with her own signature one.

"Nagisa will be staying with me in my beach house. It will be more _private_ than any hotel and I guarantee that by the end of your vacation, she will be _thoroughly satisfied_."

The tone in Shizuma's voice frightened me a bit, like there was some underlying message in what she said that I missed. The sly look in her eyes, impish and almost mischievous looking, didn't help me out much at all. I searched her face for some kind of clue but she threw me off when she looked back at me with her olive-green eyes and winked. I feel like I've been blushing since the moment she came over.

Rokujou slapped Shizuma's arm and scolded her. "It's rude to invite her without inviting her guest and you know it. Furthermore, you haven't even asked Shino if he would mind."

Shizuma pouted as she rubbed her arm. "You didn't have to hit me ya know." she whined. "Besides, I don't think he'll have a problem with it."

I wouldn't mind staying with Shizuma and Rokujou-san, but as far as I was concerned this trip wasn't about me. This is about cheering up Tamao and making her feel better. Right now, by the way they were acting around each other, I don't think Tamao will be very comfortable sleeping under the same roof as Shizuma. I think it would be best for us to just stay at our hotel, even if it is a bit cramped. I looked over at Tamao to see what she wanted to do but the moment our eyes met it seemed like her all the annoyance melted away, softening her features.

She sighed. "If you want to go then I don't mind. I'll go with you no matter where we end up."

I felt excitement immediately shoot through my veins. Shizuma told us about the spacious rooms and beautiful scenery and wasn't shy about dropping the fact that it was even closer to this beach than the hotel was.

When Tamao and I packed up our things from the beach, we headed toward the hotel to get our things _back_ into the suitcases we had them in just a few hours ago. We had to hurry though, Rokujou said she would send over a limousine to pick us up at 7:00 p.m, and knowing how exact she can be, we could be expecting a driver in front of the hotel in the next five minutes.

Admittedly we could have been here much earlier but there was a local cake shop on the pathway back and it had been calling out to me since the first time we passed it. I could hear all the little cakes in the window screaming out to me! They needed me! They wanted to be eaten by me! I couldn't deny them that right! They were supposed to be the best on the island, and I couldn't just pass up an opportunity like that! I know it's a weakness, and I'll seek help for it eventually.

When we got back to the hotel there was a female receptionist who looked like she didn't want to be bothered. Like if we came up to her desk to ask her to do anything, that nail-file she was meticulously running over her nails would somehow find its way in one of our throats. That was fine though, we were only here to pack anyway. Thankfully we wouldn't be needing her help ever, not that I'm assuming she'd actually help us in any case.

I'm sure we kept the driver waiting quite a bit, but we had trouble finding everything we threw about the room in our rush to get to the beach. A man in a plain black suit and dark-tinted shades stood at the door waiting for us, snuffing out a cigarette when he saw us approaching. The mug on his face made him look like he belonged to the FBI or the secret service or something cool and action-y like that. He guided us into the back of the limo, closed the door behind us, and proceeded to the driver's seat.

Inside the limousine was absolutely stunning! The seats felt like an expensive leather that almost made me afraid to sit on them. There was a large mirror overhead that covered basically the entire roof of the backseat area. There were buckets of ice built into the bottom that was filled with fancy rums and fine wines, of course I was no expert but they looked pretty lavish judging by the labels. I wonder if Shizuma drinks? Maybe, but probably not a lot.

My mind wondered to the beach house. I mean, if the limousine looks like _this_ , which is more than I can say for the hotel room we were going to be staying in, I couldn't even begin to imagine what the beach house would look like!

I looked over at Tamao to see if she was sharing the same excitement as me, but that wasn't the case. She was just staring out the window mindlessly, every so often catching little glances of me, and then immediately turning back. I couldn't help but feel responsible. I mean it _was_ my fault after all. It's not like I didn't know she wasn't too happy about staying at Shizuma's place, but I still dragged her along selfishly when she was just trying to be nice since she saw how excited I was. I wasn't considerate of her feelings at all. This trip was supposed to be about her.

"Tamao, are you alright? You haven't talked since we left the beach and I'm getting worried."

She put on a fake smile for me as if I'd buy it. "Don't worry Nagisa-chan, I'm alright. I just... I just don't feel like talking right now."

I can't believe she was trying to lie to me like that. I put on my disapproving eyes and leaned in to her. "I know you're lying Tamao-chan. Why can't you just tell what has you so upset? I don't like seeing you like this."

Suddenly Tamao embraced me, nestling her head into my shoulder. I could hear her crying and it broke my heart a little. She sobbed into my shoulder, "I'll tell you. When the time comes Nagisa, I promise I'll _definitely_ tell you."

Tamao doesn't cry often, not like me. Now I really wanted to know what was bothering her and it broke my heart little by little the more I thought that this was my fault. Trying to force back my own tears, I felt my voice crack as I whispered, "Is it because you don't want to be around Shizuma?"

I felt her shake her head. "It's not Hanazono-san I'm worried about Nagisa." She lifted her head to look me in the face and I could see some reddish streaks on her face from the tears. "I'll tell you, don't worry." she breathed.

The rest of the ride went on in silence. Before we knew it, the limousine stopped and we finally arrived at the beach house. It was a beautiful and calming off-white color with a dark green trim. Not only was it close to the beach, as Shizuma had mentioned, but it was actually overlooking it! The building stood an imposing two stories tall and had a large banana tree even taller than that decorating the front yard. Greenery flanked an entire side of the building while the beach wrapped itself around the other. It had the perfect illusion of 'tropical' going on!

As I was still taking in the outside, I felt a tug on my arm. Tamao was trying to get me to follow the driver as he led us inside through a screen door. It seemed like this was the patio, surrounded by insect screens weaved along some wooden patterns and giving a perfect view of what the outside had to offer. This place was decorated from head to toe, well ceiling to floor, with brightly colored tropical flowers either swinging from hanging pots or chilling out in the large round pots on the floor. I wonder if Shizuma planted them herself? The thought of that made me feel warm inside for some reason.

As we entered the main building, our driver stood off to the side and we could see Shizuma coming down the hallway. She was wearing a silky white gown-like night dress and her hair cascaded down her back, almost sparkling against the fabric. She smiled as she over at me and for some reason I was overcome with shyness. I ended up just biting my lip nervously. Suddenly she broke the eye contact with me as she looked above my head and crossed her arms.

It was confusing at first and I thought I did something wrong, that is, until I heard a familiar male's voice come from behind me. "I had no idea we were having guests over." I turned around, only to see the male receptionist from the hotel now standing behind me in the doorway.

Shizuma looked at him and smiled, a very beautiful smile might I add, one that even I rarely saw. "Shino, welcome back."


	3. Her Jealousy

**Author's Note:** _In an attempt to not stray away from the original too much, I left the first two chapters in Nagisa's point of view and then switched over, just like last time. I'm glad this story is gathering some new fans XD, hoping to hear from some of the old readers too assuming you guys are still there.. So here it is Chapter 3 coming at you! Read, Review, Rejoice!_

~oOo~

 **Chapter 3:**

 _ **Her Jealousy**_

"Shino, welcome back."

Nagisa felt her heart jump as her auburn eyes met with his amber orbs. She felt her throat go dry and she stuttered something under her breath. His deep gaze had the near same effect on her Shizuma's did. Weird...

Shino was casually dressed in a black polo shirt and blue jeans, his light-green receptionist uniform shirt balled up and tucked away safely under his arm.

He stood there smiling as Tamao and Nagisa stared blankly at him for what felt like hours but couldn't have been more than a few seconds. They were almost hypnotized.

Shizuma, obviously discontented with what was happening, walked towards them as her smirk dropped into an unhappy frown. The slender arms that were once elegantly crossed right below her chest reached out and grabbed onto Nagisa's shoulder and gave her a gentle nudge to pull her out of her trance-like state. Nagisa looked up at Shizuma questioningly but all she received was a smile just before the girl slipped away and walked up to Shino, crossing her arms once again.

"I thought you said you were going to join Miyuki and I on the beach today. Where were you?"

"Well you see, I kinda had to work overtime because the person that comes in after me was... a little bit late."

"A little late?" she repeated, narrowing her beautiful eyes at him.

He nodded, scratching the back of his head as he gave a nervous chuckle. "Turns out that the person decided not to show up at all and I ended up working their entire shift."

Shizuma sighed and shook her head disapprovingly. "Shino, you need to learn to put your foot down sometimes."

"I know. But look on the bright side!" he beamed. "I got tomorrow off with pay!"

"Well at least it wasn't a total lost." Shizuma rolled her eyes.

"You wouldn't understand until you start working." Shino breathed with a playful smile to which Shizuma scoffed. "But hey, since I won't be going in to work tomorrow, maybe we could _all_ have a beach day! That is, if you want to of course."

Shizuma turned to the side, tapping her chin in fake thought as she hummed to herself.

Nagisa looked from Shino to Shizuma and then back at Shino again, absolutely puzzled by the scene in front of her. Shizuma... getting along so well with _a guy_! No, even more so, they seemed very close.

 _What is he to Shizuma anyway? No. Shizuma wouldn't... would she? Then again..._

So many thoughts and possibilities buzzed around the girl's head, she got dizzy just trying to keep track of them all. It took a pair of fingers snapping in front of her eyes to break down her train of thought.

"Huh, w-what?" she stuttered, still a little dazed from her own thoughts.

Shizuma giggled at the sight of the flustered younger girl before repeating herself. "I asked if you would like to go to the beach again tomorrow."

Nagisa looked up at Shizuma and then over at Shino who was looking at her with puppy-dog eyes, practically pleading with her to say yes. She had to admit, she was a little excited about the prospect of going back, what with their first beach day turning out the way it did. She was far more excited than she would ever admit though, barely even able to stop herself from bouncing.

"Tamao, what do you think?" she asked her friend for some input instead.

The blunette tilted her head thoughtfully before answering, "Well, I guess that's okay." It's not like she could bring herself to say no when Nagisa was acting like that.

Nagisa let out a squeal of joy as she jumped up in total excitement. Shizuma carefully watched her girlfriend with a smirk on her face. It was painfully obvious that Shizuma was just staring at the subtle bounce of the cherry-head's chest though as she whispered under her breath, _marvelous_.

She was distracted when she saw a figure emerge from the hallway and seemed somewhat disappointed with it. "Miyuki, you're still up?"

"Of course I am." she replied matter-of-factly, though the yawn she stifled right after seemed to work against her. "I wouldn't trust _you_ with placing them in their room Shizuma."

Shizuma gave an exaggerated gasp. "Just what kind of pervert do you take me for Miyuki? I'm hurt and offended by your accusations."

Shino chuckled at the girls' antics, walking further into the house as he finally allowed the front door to close behind him. He continued down the hallway, waving back at the girls. "I'm gonna go take a bath, I'm probably all sweaty from that double shift." He sniffed at his under arm and pulled away, fanning his nose jokingly.

Shizuma looked down at Nagisa who was staring at Shino blankly, _again_. "Wait for me, I'll join you!" she offered, much to Nagisa's distress.

Just before going off after Shino, the silver-haired girl wrapped her arms around Nagisa's shoulders. She smirked and lightly but discreetly, bit down on the tip of the younger girl's ear, provoking a deliciously small whimper from the girl's throat. She whispered sensually into the throbbing ear, _"Just think about me tonight."_ She released Nagisa slowly, grinning when the girl nearly collapsed at the knees. After steadying Nagisa to her feet, Shizuma strolled towards Shino, patiently awaiting her in the hall.

Despite what Shizuma had just done, Nagisa was still worried. A small bite on the ear was nothing compared to sharing a bath with someone. _What could they be doing?_ Nagisa ended up chewing on her lip subconsciously. She had to know! So with determination burning bright in her eyes, she turned towards with Miyuki in hopes of getting some answers.

"Rokujou-san! What is Shizuma's relationship with Shino?"

Miyuki seemed confused as she furrowed her brows. "You mean Shizuma hasn't told you yet? I figured she would have said something by now."

Nagisa shook her head, a little worried with the tone in the older girl's voice. "She just said it was a secret."

Miyuki sighed. She turned away for a second and rubbed her temples, inwardly cursing her friend for inadvertently putting her in this kind of situation, and then turned back towards Nagisa, being met with pleading eyes as big as saucers. "Look, I promised Shizuma I wouldn't tell you before she did. Sorry."

Disappointed, Nagisa slumped over, Tamao immediately moving in to console her by rubbing her shoulders. Miyuki gestured towards the hallway, "Come on, let me show you to your room."

Miyuki guided them to the second door on the left of the long hallway. She opened the door to reveal a huge, not too far from luxurious room. The walls were painted a pure white and topped with an elegant emerald trim. There were two queen sized beds on either sides of the room, both having the same design, silk white bed sheets with a transparent silver veil hanging over the edges facing inwardly to the room. The bedstead was made of some sort of wood, but it had a similar sparkle to gold. Separating the two beds was a black bureau. Behind it was a window that gave the most _gorgeous_ view of the beach.

In the corner, there was a fold door that opened to a closet large enough to fit every bit of clothes Nagisa ever owned three times over and still have space for more. Another door connected the room to a half bathroom, a sparkling paradise with as much space as the average adult bedroom.

Despite the fact that it was night, everything glimmered in luxury and elegance, right down to the marble floors they walked on. Tamao spun in joy and wonder, claiming the bed to the left of the room as she fell into its soft embrace. "Such extravagance, as expected of the Hanazono family." It was hard to interpret with her tone whether that was a compliment or not.

Not that Nagisa wasn't completely taken by this room, she was still puzzled about something. "Don't guests usually stay in a guest room or something?"

Miyuki matched her expression before stifling a chuckle into her fist. "This _is_ the guest bedroom. Shizuma was a little apprehensive at first since she wasn't sure if you'd like the décor." she explained.

Nagisa shrieked, if only out of sheer surprise. Even Tamao was eyeing Miyuki incredulously. "Isn't this a little much, even for the Hanazono family?"

"Not at all. This is actually their smallest vacation home. It's the only one Shizuma's parents would lend us."

"If you ask _me_ , they were just overreacting." Shizuma complained as she entered from the doorway, Shino not too far in tow.

"Shizuma, your bath." was all that slipped out from Nagisa's mouth.

"The water's running." Shino pointed out as he posted himself against the wall next to the door. His expression was playful. "Do you mind if we join in the conversation?"

Just like that, everyone was gathered in the guest room, girls sitting around the bed Tamao had claimed for her own and Shino leaning against the wall not too far away. They were all talking and laughing.

"Can you believe that Miyuki here dragged me all the way to her parents' house to help her cancel the engagement they set up?"

"Shizuma!" the girl attempted to hide her embarrassment but ultimately ended up failing as she yelled, "That's not something you just _slip_ into conversations!"

Ignoring Miyuki's protests, Shizuma continued with a giggle. "Right after graduation too! She was too scared to go on her own. The whole way there she was getting all worked up about what she would say and practicing all kinds of counter arguments like we were heading to a school debate or something!"

"God, Shizuma! Do you have to tell them everything like that?"

"Then we get there, only to find out that her parents changed their mind about the guy and were relieved to find out that she didn't want to marry him." Shizuma laughed. "She ended up getting engaged to one of my brothers instead."

Nagisa and Tamao were holding their stomachs where they were giggling so hard while Shino on the other hand, only snickered a bit. Miyuki, her face a bright red, hid her embarrassment behind a pillow and let out a long, annoyed groan, causing Shizuma to snicker wickedly.

Despite all the merriment, Nagisa still had one thing on her mind, finding out about Shizuma and Shino's relationship. She carefully waited as the two left the room, finally remembering their running bath water. A few seconds after they left, Miyuki announced that she was going to rest up for the night and left as well. It was now or never. Nagisa attempted to sneak out of the room while Tamao was in the bathroom, but after she looked left and right to scan the hall, she was barely able to take two steps before she heard Tamao's voice call out to her. "Where are you going Nagisa-chan?"

Stumbling a bit out of surprise, the flustered red head attempted to piece together a believable lie. "Tamao! You see... I was just on my way to... to the... kitchen! Yea, the kitchen."

Tamao was utterly confused by the way Nagisa was acting. "It's so late, what could you possibly want out of the kitchen? Don't tell me you were planning to sneak some cake before bed because I told how bad that was for your health before."

Nagisa gave a nervous laugh as she shook her head. "Just need a glass of water!" she was surprised at how easily that came out.

Tamao tilted her head in thought, Nagisa breaking into a sweat the longer Tamao looked over her. "Well, while you're at it, can you bring me a glass too?" Nagisa jumped, surprised that the lie actually worked!

"Sure thing!" Before anyone could say another word Nagisa bolted down the hall, searching for the door her girlfriend was behind. About ten minutes in, Nagisa realized how much she had underestimated the sheer size of the house. She pressed her ear against every door she passed and peaked into every open room, but Shizuma was nowhere to be heard or found. Meanwhile, Nagisa _did_ come across some very strange rooms with odd designs. Some that she wasn't sure how to describe. One in particular that tattooed itself to her memory had both chains and swings hanging from the ceiling, a pair of handcuffs left visibly seated on the King sized mattress which had a bouquet of candles flanking both sides. _'A... torture chamber...?'_ Nagisa attempted to make sense of what she just saw before deciding it was better to pretend she never saw that.

Eventually, when she somehow stumbled into the kitchen for real, Nagisa decided to give up on her search and get that glass of water after all. As she swallowed the cool contents of the glass she poured herself, her ears picked up some chatting in the distance and she quickly rested her glass on the counter. She could barely distinguish Shizuma's voice among the two, so she could only assume the other was Shino.

Nagisa entered the hallway discreetly, catching sight of the two just as they turned the corner, happily walking with linked arms. Nagisa moved quickly to catch up to them, but she almost blew her cover as she was about to turn the corner after them but realized they were standing just a few steps away from there, along with Miyuki, as they all stood chatting in the hallway. After a few seconds of talking, Miyuki headed into a room on the left hand side of the hallway while Shizuma and Shino walked into the room just adjacent to it. At that moment, Nagisa felt her heart drop as her silver-haired goddess entered a bedroom with an admittedly handsome young man. Nagisa shook her head, barely able to believe her own eyes, and headed back to her room feeling completely defeated for some reason.

 _Wait, I should be able to trust Shizuma._

 _But I know her so well that I feel like I **can't** trust her with these things._ _She **was** the Casanova girl of Astraea Hill. Wait, am I actually getting JEALOUS?_

Nagisa tossed herself onto her bed as Tamao looked over her with concerned eyes. "Nagisa, my water?"

"What water?"


	4. To the Beach! (Again!)

**Author's Notes:** _Can't say I didn't miss this story; it was so much fun writing it then and it's still fun revising it now! You guys have also been real supportive with this revitalization XD thank you! Here it is, Read, Review, Rejoice!_

~oOo~

 **Chapter 4:**

 _ **To The Beach (Again)!**_

Without the need for air conditioning, the wind carried a comfortably cool breeze through the large guest room. The moon bathed the room in its subtle glow. Even the beds were made of some plush, expensive feeling material. Everything was absolutely perfect!

So why then couldn't Nagisa sleep?

She tried her hardest, looking over at a peaceful looking Tamao from across the room as the blunette lightly snored away in what seemed to be a sweet sleep. The red-head wished she could get her eyes to close that easily. She wished her mind could be put at ease, but right now, every time she closed her eyes, images of Shizuma and Shino would assault her in the momentary pitch-darkness.

So Nagisa was left with one option; she sat in a fetal position, her back against the headboard, watching the clock above the door tick away in hopes that its lulling metronome would put her to sleep. Her lids were heavy, but her body tortured itself with not allowing the weights to fall.

Time crawled by slowly. It seemed like she had been awake for days before her body eventually gave out to fatigue and exhaustion. At around five in the morning, she was finally able to slip between her sheets and force herself to sleep. Even then, her fantasies were engulfed in nightmares. Horrible nightmares that caused Nagisa to awake in fits of panic and whimpering. Nightmares that mostly involved Shizuma leaving in some way or form, and never turning back. It was heart wrenching for her! Still, she continued to desperately fight for a peaceful slumber, pushing herself to fall asleep every time she launched up from another nightmare.

During a particularly long nap, Nagisa was awakened by something other than a bad dream. This time, a knock at the door caused her to stir.

"Tamao-chan, can you get that?" she whined.

After no response and the knock on the door sounding again, Nagisa was growing impatient. She groaned as she got up lazily, wiping away whatever crusts found itself into the corner her eyes. Grumbling to herself, Nagisa pulled the door open to reveal Miyuki standing in the doorway, wearing a blue sundress and a pair of shades that rested atop her head.

"Nagisa, you're not ready yet?" Miyuki asked in her usual motherly tone. "We woke you up more than an hour and a half-ago."

Nagisa shrieked, "You mean that wasn't a dream!"

Miyuki groaned and rubbed her temples. "Well you need to hurry up, we can only wait about thirty minutes more. You didn't forget we were going to the beach did you?"

Yes. She totally forgot. In fact at this point, Nagisa found that the beach was the furthest thing from her mind. But she dared not to tell that to Miyuki and risk getting a lecture that would suck up what little time she had left.

Nagisa bowed graciously. "Thank you for checking up on me. I probably wouldn't have been waking up on my own anytime soon." Miyuki nodded with a smile and turned, leaving the red-head to her preparations.

Nagisa rushed out the room and bolted towards the bathroom, deciding to take a quick shower rather than a bath to avoid wasting precious time. Taking off her clothes and stepping into the large shower, she pulled the curtains across and allowed the refreshing, steamy hot water to cleanse her skin. As the steam caressed her skin she giggled to herself. "I wonder if there'll be a bakery near this beach too. I miss cake already!"

When they were all in the guest room yesterday, she remembered Shizuma mentioning something about wanting to check out another beach this time, claiming that it would be boring to go to the same beach every time. Apparently, the one she had in mind would be a bit of a drive from where they were, but she said it'd be worth it.

Suddenly, Nagisa found that her smile fell into a frown as all the painful feelings from last night snuck up on her. Under her breath, she pleaded, _"Shizuma, please don't leave me."_ She did her best to shake off the negative feelings of depression and turned off the water. She dried off and changed into a cherry red dress.

As she brushed her teeth in the mirror, she heard a knock at the bathroom door. Nagisa rinsed out her mouth and spat into the sink before yelling, "Come in!" The door cracked open slightly and Nagisa could see Shino's reflection from the mirror.

Surprised, she turned towards him and started spouting nonsensical words. "Oh sorry, did I do something wrong?" Shino asked with a slight panic in his voice.

"Uh no, I was just surprised that it was you... is all." ending with a nervous giggle, thinking of how silly she must have just seemed.

"Is that so?" Shino sighed in genuine relief. "Anyway, Miyuki sent me to warn you; ten minutes before we leave."

"Only ten! That took longer than I thought it would!" she yelled as she raced past Shino, barely brushing him.

She ran back to the guest room to retrieve everything she'd need. When she got there, she met Tamao already packed up and heading out. Panicking, she threw all the things out her drawers in search of something. Tamao watched questionably as the frantic red-head threw all her things about the room recklessly.

"Umm, Nagisa-chan-"

"Can't talk now! Must find it!" She didn't take her focus off her search for a second.

"What are you looking for?"

Nagisa let out a frustrated groan and fell back to the floor. "I can't find it." she breathed, defeated.

"Find what?"

"Remember when we were buying our new bathing suits and we both ended up getting two? I said the other one would be a spare."

"Yes, you couldn't decide between the ones you wore yesterday and that set that sort of looked like mine with the cherry print skirt, so you bought both." Tamao recalled the time. "Why?"

"I can't find it. And I didn't wash the other one because I _knew_ I had this spare to rely on. That's what I thought anyway."

Tamao put her finger to her chin thoughtfully before wisely pointing out, "Nagisa, are you sure you took it out your bag yesterday when we were unpacking? It could be in there."

Embarrassed, Nagisa made a dive under the bed to grab one of her bags, the one she was sure she packed the bathing suits in. As soon as she opened it, she noticed the red fabric sticking out of the corner of the bag, still neatly folded in its place.

…

Meanwhile, Shizuma, Miyuki, and Shino were sitting in the limousine parked in the driveway, waiting for Nagisa and Tamao. Of course, some were far more patient than others.

Shizuma hung her feet out the open car door, tapping an impatient rhythm on the concrete beneath them. Her eyebrows were furrowed and her arms were crossed, a small pout gracing her features. She looked like a child being told to wait before she could go to the toy store, except a little more vicious.

Suddenly, Shuizuma roared, "What is taking them so long!?"

Shino rested his hand on her shoulder in an attempt to calm her down, though it obviously wasn't working. "Don't worry, they still have a few minutes and it's not like the beach is going anywhere." he laughed.

"That's not the problem here." Shizuma whined.

"That's not why she's upset at all Shino." Miyuki pointed out knowingly. "She's only acting like a spoiled child because Nagisa's with Tamao right now."

"It's not that I don't trust Nagisa! It's Tamao that I don't trust!" Shizuma clarified. "We've all seen the way she looks at Nagisa." Shizuma stepped out of the limo and decided, "I'm going to go check on them."

As soon as Shizuma made a move to turn, she felt herself get yanked back into the seat by her wrist. "Geez Miyuki, that actually hurt."

"Stay here Shizuma, anyone _but you_ can go." Miyuki ordered.

"What are you trying to imply my dear Miyuki-chan? That could hurt my feelings." she replied sarcastically with a sly smirk on her face.

"I can't trust you to go. Heaven knows what kind of trouble you'll cause."

Shino stretched over Shizuma and got out of the limo. As he noticed their stares, he felt the need to explain himself. "It's best if I go. Miyuki doesn't trust Shizuma to go, and honestly I don't blame her-"

"Hey!"

"Plus I know that between me and Miyuki, she's the only one that can control Shizuma. You two have been friends for a long time after all." Shizuma sighed while Miyuki nodded her head approvingly, so Shino set off to check on the two girls.

…

Nagisa was almost finished packing and was raring to go. She was relieved when she thought of finally being able to rest after all that rushing around. I mean, what better place to relax than on the beach! Everyone else had already finished and was just waiting on her. Thankfully, Tamao stayed behind long enough to help her decide what she was going to bring which saved her a lot of time.

"I'll go on ahead first and tell them that you'll be on your way shortly." Tamao waved as she exited the room.

Nagisa happily hummed to herself, thinking of all the fun they were going to have on the beach. _We'll probably do a lot of swimming, and maybe even some watermelon splitting, considering how eccentric Shizuma can get about these things. Shizuma would probably end up perving around a whole lot too._ Remembering the look Shizuma gave her when they first saw each other at the beach, Nagisa started to space out.

Suddenly, a knock on the door snapped her out of her trance-like state. "It's open!", she announced, trying to stuff in the last few things she wanted to bring in her bag.

The door was pushed open slowly, revealing Shino. He scratched the back of his head awkwardly as he spoke, "Shizuma's getting really impatient and I don't know how long Miyuki can hold her." he laughed. "Are you finished?"

Nagisa giggled as she thought of the irritated face Shizuma must be making right now. She knew how the silver-haired girl got when she was kept waiting too long. Zipping up her bag, she slung it on her shoulder and assured, "I'm ready, let's go!"

…

At the time, Shizuma was acting like a cat that had been locked in a car. Well, it was half-true considering that Rokujou had her on lockdown in the limo. More and more, the silver-haired girl grew impatient and she was finally at the point where it looked like she would explode in a ball of nervous energy any second now. She tried everything to keep herself pre-occupied but now there was no distracting her. Even Miyuki had attempted some random conversation in hopes that it would help, but somehow Shizuma always brought the topics round to Nagisa. Eventually, even the former student council president gave up on this seemingly lost cause. She watched questionably as Shizuma leaned her head against the tinted windows, scratching her nails irritatingly across the glass. Now she really did look like a cat.

Soon the sound of approaching footsteps was able to get her back to normal. "Nagisa?" she exclaimed with all the excitement of a dog as his master returned home. Her smiling face was replaced with a scowl however when Tamao opened the door of the limousine.

"No, it's just me. Nagisa is just about finished though, she'll be out in no ti-" Tamao flinched at the sound of the limousine door being slammed behind an angered Shizuma.

The girl left the vehicle with with a huff and was about to march inside before her path was cut by a gentleman in a black suit. "Lady Shizuma, we must leave immediately. I cannot continue to wait any longer."

"Just give them a few more seconds, I'll drag them out here if I have to."

"Lady Shizuma please, you must understand that I have a prior engagement with your parents and I _must_ hurry now if I intend to reach there on time." The man pleaded with her for cooperation. "I will call another driver to pick up your friend and Master Shino, but I have no more time to waste."

He opened the limo doors for Shizuma and, hesitantly enough, Shizuma sat back into the leather seats. Her eyebrows furrowed yet again and her arms returned to their folded position beneath her chest while she leaned into the door with a pout.


	5. Mid-Summer Madness

**Author's Note:** _Found myself doing very little editing to this chapter. Maybe I got lazy :P_

~oOo~

 **Chapter 5:**

 _ **Mid-summer Madness**_

The sound of the fleeting engine and a cloud of thick, floating dust was all Shino and Nagisa could see and hear as they stepped out the front door. They just barely made it in time to see the limousine turn the corner just a few yards away from the front gate. Of course, Nagisa immediately went into panic mode.

"Oh my gosh Shino, they left us! What'll we do!?" she whimpered in a single breath.

"I'm sure it will be alright." Shino assured in a calm voice, his usual smile mounting his face. He wasn't nearly as bothered by this as Nagisa, though there was a glimmer of concern showing in his eyes.

Disregarding what Shino said, Nagisa continued to panic, "What if they forget about us? What if they never come back?"

"They have to come back, they're living here too, right?" he laughed.

"I'm not joking around okay! Unlike you, I don't think this is very funny! How do I even know I can trust you!?" Nagisa yelled subconsciously. Her hidden feelings began to pour out of her and there was no lid big enough to stop it. "I don't even know who you are! I've never met you up until I came to Okinawa, yet you're so close to Shizuma. Just who the hell do you think you are?"

Shino stood, absolutely shocked. His usual happy, confident expression was now taken over by surprise and confusion, and even later so, a small wave of sadness could be seen washing over him.

There was an awkward silence between the two as Nagisa finally realized what she had said. Shino just stood, his strong stance replaced with a head hung low and shoulders slouched.

Slowly Nagisa began to gather her words, "I didn't mean to… I didn't mean…"

"I'm sorry, I didn't realize you disliked me so much. I must have really been annoying you." he spoke slowly, his usually energetic voice deepened by sadness.

He pulled out his cell phone and called Tristan, the chauffeur that was in charge of driving them. Nagisa looked on, her face full of regret for what she had said. It rang for a few seconds before the man picked up.

" _Hello._ "

"Tristan, what happened? Where are you guys?"

" _I'm terribly sorry Master Shino, but I have arranged for another driver to pick you up._ "

"Why? Did something comeup?"

" _Terribly sorry, but I have an appointment with your parents that I couldn't afford to miss."_

"...Okay, as long as someone's coming for us. Hope we didn't get you in trouble."

" _No worries Master Shino, I'm just glad you understand."_

… _ **click…**_

"So what's going on Shino?" Nagisa asked, low concern in her voice.

"Don't worry another limo driver's coming soon."

…

In about ten minutes, another black limousine pulled into the yard. Shino, like a gentleman, opened the door for Nagisa despite that being the chauffeur's job. After Nagisa was securely in her seat, Shino followed suit, closing the door behind him. They sat on opposite sides of the limo, facing each other, but never making eye contact.

A slight drizzle and a few dark clouds spelt ominous trouble for the near future, but thanks to the tinted windows, Shino and Nagisa had no idea of what the clouds were brewing up. Soon the sky's prediction came true as the rain busted through the clouds like roaring faucets.

They were nearing the beach Shizuma suggested, but in this bad weather, it was best to cancel this vacation. Their driver contacted Tristan, explained the situation to them, and then the limo turned around. Even then, there was an awkward silence and tense atmosphere surrounding them.

Suddenly, the car began to shake and rumble, swerving in the rain as the car slipped and slid over the water-coated streets. Soon their ride came to a screeching halt. It seemed like the limo was driving on air, if only for a few moments, before realizing it wasn't meant to fly and was forced down by gravity. As the car crashed down to the ground, Nagisa and Shino were definitely having a hard time holding on. Nagisa fell forward, lucky to be saved by Shino's open arms. However, there was no time for sappy moments. Based on the loud bang and crunching sound they heard, the limo definitely took serious damage, despite the act the their back cabin took very little damage (or at least, very little based on what they heard).

Nagisa slowly fixed herself back to the seat, feeling to make sure that everything on her was where it was supposed to be. She was terrified just thinking about what could have just happened. Shino leaned over to the door and tried to open it, but due to it being slightly crushed in the accident, the lock was jammed. Shino turned and turned the lock, but after he became irritated enough, he pushed himself back and started to kick at the door. After about fifteen to twenty kicks, Shino was able to break the door off.

He stretched his long legs out the limo and felt for solid ground. The land was slightly moist, but it was definitely solid. He pulled the rest of his body out the car and observed the scene around him.

It was still raining harshly. Turning to take in their own accident, Shino covered his mouth as his eyes met the wreckage he just escaped from. The front of the vehicle was absolutely totalled, driver lost in the mangle of compacted metal.

Looking around him, Shino tried to put together what happened. Observing the landscape around him, he deduced that the car swerved off the road and rolled down a steep hill before being launched into the air by a small slope. It landed slightly beyond a lake, on a small bit of land. There was barely enough space to stand, but there was a cave-like structure dug into a tall round boulder, the very thing the car hit as it landed.

Nagisa slowly inched her way out the limo behind the stunned Shino, and attempted to stop the gasp that escaped her lips as she threw her hands in front of her face. Tears began to stream down her cheek, though it was hard to see as the cold rain pelted her face.

Shino could tell that Nagisa seemed to be breaking down right in front of his eyes while all he was doing was standing around stunned. Whether she liked him or not, he couldn't stand back and let her feel like she was alone at that moment. He put his arm on her shoulder and gave her a reassuring smile that was contradicted by the slight tears tracing his face.

"Everything will be just fine, don't worry!" he tried to place his usual go-lucky attitude in his tone, but it was ruined by his slightly choked words.

Nagisa could see he was attempting to help her, and she felt comforted just knowing it. She leaned into his embrace. He stroked her hair, feeling at least somewhat glad that he wasn't a completely useless person here. They stayed like this for a few moments before he whispered to her, "If we stay out here, we'll both end up sick."

He led her into the cave innocently. Shino seemed more like a pure and innocent young school boy than a serious and mature adult. He acted like he was still at a stage where he thought that kissing a girl might get her pregnant. Yet, at the same time, he was a gentleman who cared more for others than his own safety.

…

Meanwhile, the responsible and trustworthy Miyuki was attempting to call Shino's cell number. Tristan drove them to Shizuma's parents' house when the rain came down. The beach house was too far for Tristan to turn around, drop them off there, and still be able to make it back to the Hanazono household in time. So he decided, against Shizuma's protests, to bring them all with him.

Not everyone was upset with this change of plans though. Tamao was amazed by the mere stature of the household. This home was five… no, ten times greater than the beach house! It had an even more elegant feel to it but at the same time, it was more 'home, sweet home'. There was even a fireplace for them to warm up and dry off!

It seemed as though only Tamao was excited. Miyuki stood by the phone, twirling her fingers in the wire with concern written all over her face. She was attempting to call Shino, but each time she was unsuccessful.

Shizuma on the other hand seemed more annoyed and frustrated than concerned. At this moment, her parents and Tristan were talking in another room, but just being in the same house as them was pissing her off! She wanted to get up and leave but she knew Miyuki would just stop her anyway. It's not like she always felt this way about them, it was only after the day Shizuma asked to borrow the beach house for the summer.

…

Shino and Nagisa were able to start a fire thanks to the matches Shino found in the emergency kit, in the limo's trunk. They took shelter in the cave-like dugout they crashed into, trying to put the image of the mangled vehicle as well as the obvious loss, as far into the back of their minds as possible. Nagisa was drenched and dripping, and Shino was no better.

"I wonder what Shizuma and the others are doing right now." Shino breathed, lounging back a bit.

The clouds were completely blackened by the intense rain that seemed to have increased by a devastating amount. It was as dark as night despite the fact that it was probably only around noon, and there was no chance of the storm ebbing away anytime soon. The flash storm seemed to engulf everything around them.

Nagisa's eyes saddened a bit. "I hope that they're alright."

Shino checked his cell phone but the signal was dead. He sighed in frustration and hid it back in his pocket. The silver-haired boy seemed to have gone into thought and then he suddenly chuckled a little.

"What's so funny?" Nagisa asked curiously.

"Its nothing, I just remembered something Shizuma told me before. She said that when you're in trouble, the only thing you can do is find a way to make the situation funny, even if it's just to alleviate some of the stress. Sorta like if you don't laugh, you'll cry."

Nagisa thought about it for a second and giggled a little. "That sounds like something she would say." Her mind was settled a bit. She decided that now would be a good a time as any to ask the question she wanted to know so badly. She bit her lip, but still willed herself to ask, "Who are you?"

Nagisa steeled herself, just in case it was an answer she wasn't hoping to hear.

"I'm Shino, remember." he attempted to shrug the seriousness off with jest.

"You know what I mean." Nagisa tried to surpress the slight giggle in the back of her voice, caught a little off guard by his little bit of cheekiness. Calming herself and clearing her throat, she fell back into her seriousness. "Who are you? To Shizuma."

…

Soon, everyone was beginning to worry about Shino and Nagisa. Miyuki was concerned after calling for so long but receiving no answer. Shizuma was still uneasy about staying under the same roof as her parents. Even Tamao, who was once the most excited was now in a serious panic. She was pacing the floor, mumbling concerns about Nagisa.

"If you keep pacing the floor like that, you'll leave a hole." Shizuma joked.

"No offence Hanazono-san, but I don't feel in the mood for your jokes, I'm too worried about Nagisa, as you should be as well."

"I worry in my own way, but Nagisa is mine and mine alone. I don't need you to be concerned, I take very good care of what is mine."

"You keep saying Nagisa is yours. Nagisa is a _person_ and she is not owned by _anyone_."

"It's true Nagisa is a person, but she is _mine_. I think I made my claim of her clear during the Etoile elections."

Tamao's mind dug up buried memories of that day and all the depression she felt then crashed down on her, but she still fought back. "I used to look up to you. You seemed to be perfect. But now I realize that you're not the person I thought you were and quite frankly, I can't stand you now."

"That's nice, I can't stand you either, but since this is my home, I think you should be the one to leave."

"Don't get me wrong, I only stayed because Nagisa was so excited about it."

"Well it's okay for you to go now. I'm here so Nagisa doesn't need you here anymore."

"I was invited!"

"Because I wasn't there!"

Slowly but surely, Shizuma was destroying Tamao in this mental battle. Tamao realized this, but for some reason she continued. "Even if you're not going to be concerned about Nagisa, how do I know Shino can be trusted? Who knows what he would do."

"She's safer with Shino than without him. Shino wouldn't do anything I would if I were alone with Nagisa."

"How would you know?"

"Because he is her little brother, and even more so, they're twins. They're very sensitive to each others' feelings." Miyuki noted as she walked towards the two.

"TWINS!?" Tamao repeated out of sheer shock.

"That's right… twins."


	6. Bitter Tears and Hateful Words

**Chapter 6:**

 _ **Bitter Tears and Hateful Words**_

"So that's it, you two are twins." Nagisa sighed in relief.

"Why else would we be so close?" Shino chuckled.

"I thought you two were like, dating or something!" Nagisa laughed when she realized how weird it sounded out loud. "But, now that I look again, it should have been obvious. I mean you two look so much alike!"

They sat by the fire, sharing a heart-filled laugh despite the storm outside. It was like a barrier had been placed between them and the rain. They had probably even forgotten how bad of a situation they were in. Or maybe they hadn't forgotten, it just doesn't seem as bad as it should. The two were chatting like old friends around the fire, laughing and enjoying each other's presence, making the most of the situation.

"So wait a minute, when Shizuma said that Rokujou-san got engaged to her brother, she meant… you."

"You say that like it's such a big shock." Shino chuckled again.

"No… It's just that you two seem so…" Nagisa bit her lip as she searched her mind for the right word. "...so distant."

"She just doesn't like to 'display public affection' or something like that." he joked. "And personally I get a little shy with that stuff anyway so, ya know."

"Then why don't you two sleep in the same room? I mean, you're gonna get married anyway."

The silver-haired innocent blushed profusely. "Why are you asking about my sex life?" he shot up defensively.

"I d-didn't mean it like that!" Nagisa blushed at the accusation. "I just m-meant... why sleep in yo-your sister's r-room... when your f-f-fiancee sleeps just across the hall?" she stuttered like mad.

"I was only kidding, don't get so worked up over it." Shino scratched the back of his head awkwardly. "The reason I sleep in Shizuma's room instead of Miyuki's room is because I believe that... sex... should be saved for two married people, and I don't want to get myself tempted." he explained, obviously uneasy with the subject of sex.

Nagisa glared at him, only serving to make him even more uncomfortable.

"What are you staring at me like that for?"

"…Are you sure you and Shizuma are twins?"

…

"-Choo!" Shizuma sneezed, covering her nose with her handkerchief.

"Are you sick? Did you get wet?" Miyuki asked, rubbing her forehead when Shizuma shot a devilish smirk at her. "And I swear if you give me a perverted answer I'll smash the phone in your head."

Shizuma huffed, a bit disappointed. "No, someone must just be talking about me I guess."

Tamao was sitting quietly, thinking about everything the former Etoile had said to her. What would Nagisa had done if Shizuma was still with them at school? Would Nagisa even realize how sad her best friend was if Shizuma was around?

Shizuma, on the other hand, was irritated after receiving a scolding from Miyuki. _"Honestly, she doesn't have to be so uptight about these things."_ Shizuma thought to herself. She didn't risk saying it out loud just to get scolded, _again_.

Meanwhile, Rokujou was still taking on the role of the responsible one in the room, still desperately trying to reach Shino's cell phone. Sometimes the phone would tease her by ringing, but then after a few seconds, the signal would go dead again.

Just as Miyuki was ready to give up, a door from the hallway opened. Tristan was finished his business with Shizuma's parents, but his face seemed gloomy. He walked out to where Shizuma and the others were waiting, but as he passed, he glanced at Shizuma with a hint of sadness and pity etched in his eyes. Of course, Shizuma picked up on it right away. He stood in the middle of the floor and bowed.

"Good day." he spoke humbly as he straightened his back and walked away. He stood in front of the door and grabbed an umbrella, that was apparently his, from a rack nearby. In a moment, he disappeared to the outside, battling with the torrential rains and heavy gales as he strained his eyes to see the key for the limousine under the dense darkness of the storm. Slowly the door creaked itself close.

"Something really important must have come up." Tamao reasoned, however Shizuma and Miyuki knew very well what must have just happened.

Shizuma's parents were very strict, but her mother was someone most people described as uncaring and heartless, these being some of the nicer words. She would send a man to travel thirty miles through a hurricane, if only to talk in private.

Tristan had been working for their family for years and he would cut off his own leg if they needed him to, so it was highly unlikely that they fired him. For them to send him out, for him to look at Shizuma like that before he left, something must be up, and it involved Shizuma. Miyuki had never actually seen Shizuma's parents face to face, despite the fact that she was engaged to their son. She only talked to them once over the phone for a minute or two, and that was that. Whatever she knew about them was what Shizuma and Shino had told her, although Shizuma was very blunt about everything, especially things involving her mother.

Soon, her parents' office door opened again, this time releasing two things Shizuma was hoping she wouldn't have to see, her parents. Well, that's not true, she wouldn't mind seeing her father, but she knew to see him, she'd have to see 'that woman' as well. She greatly loved her father, but she had greater detest for her mother and would gladly swim across an ocean to get away from her. Of course we all know that it would be impossible for her to do so, so right now she would have to put up with it. Still, it was easier said than done.

Her mother was no doubt beautiful. Her rosy pink hair was wrapped elegantly. She wore a silk dress the same color of her hair and her eyes were auburn. She was a woman who may have matched even Juno. Shizuma's father was a tall and built man, constructed of muscle, who could strike a man down with sheer intimidation just by looking into his olive-colored eyes. His short, spiked silver hair did not add a sense of age, but rather a sense of wisdom and power. But, for some reason, there was a comforting glimmer in his eyes that could only be seen by those who can make it past his stern face. He wore a dull-grey coat and black pants with a black tie. He always opted to look professional wherever he went.

"My, my, Shizuma, how unexpected to see you home." her mother snickered, her father remaining silent.

"This is no longer a place I consider 'home'." Shizuma defended.

"Oh my! Are you trying to show off in front of your friends young lady?"

"What I do is no concern of yours." Shizuma scorned.

"Is that so? The fact that you are who you are, and you're carrying the title of the next head of the Hanazono family, leaves a lot for me to be concerned about."

"What does it matter to you? You weren't the one who gave birth to me and you _certainly_ weren't the one who raised me."

It was true, Shizuma's real mother was a very kind but unfortunately, sickly woman. They thought she wouldn't be able to survive giving a natural birth, let alone for twins. Despite that, she gave birth to them naturally and raised Shizuma and Shino for five years before her weak body gave in to eternal rest. While Shizuma was in the sixth grade, her father remarried to a woman Shizuma couldn't stand.

"If I had given birth to you and your brother, you two definitely wouldn't be the way you are. Your brother's only good quality is that sometimes his foolish decisions could be mistaken for acts of kindness. You, on the other hand, are a foolish person who wastes their talents and chases foolish dreams."

"Your vocabulary must be very limited for you to use the word 'foolish' so many times in a single statement."

Tamao and Miyuki stood by, amazed at how the two spoke to each other. Watching it was just as amazing as hearing what they had to say. Tamao could have sworn she saw wolves as the two continued their verbal assaults on one another. But what was truly amazing was that her father could stand back and remain silent as the two spoke to each other in such a manner. It was as if he was deaf to what they were saying; like his focus, his consciousness of his surroundings was gone.

"You know, no matter how smart St. Miator would report that you were, how much of an exceptional student you were, I knew in my mind that you just had them all fooled."

"You must really love the word 'fool' considering how much versions of the word you use so frequently. Well I shouldn't find it strange, you're simply looking for someone else who could be grouped in with you."

Her arrogant smirk soon became an angry scowl as she seemed to be losing control of the argument. _"Whatever, there are other ways to stay in control against a child."_. With that thought in her mind, she walked up to Shizuma and raised her hand, slapping the girl across her face.

"How else would I describe someone like you and your brother in a ladylike way? Especially you! Men of all ages, ethnicity, bloodlines, and nobility, fall in love with you at first glance. You could pick, choose, and refuse, yet you picked such a _lifestyle_ , and brought shame upon your family name. I consider you _and your brother_ , no smarter than a simple ass…"

 _Smack_ …

The sound practically echoed throughout the entire household, shocking Tamao, Miyuki, and even her father, but no one was as shocked as the woman receiving the blow. Shizuma returned the slap her mother gave her, ten fold. She knocked the woman down to her knees, bruising her cheek and busting her lip, drips of blood rolling down the flanks of her mouth. The woman's silence was either because she was in too much shock or too much pain to speak a word.

Mr. Hanazono knelt to help his wife get up, but Shizuma was not finished talking. This time, what she had to say was directed to her father.

"There were other ways to resolve your grief." A statement that seemed rather simple, but carried enough meaning to it to cause the bitter tears forming in his daughter's eyes. Tears he hadn't seen since they disappeared after a year of mourning her mother's death. Tears that seemed lost with the time, heavy enough to burden his soul but light enough to be blown away by the wind. Sharp enough to penetrate his heart, but dull enough for him to wipe away with a simple flick of the finger. He knew it would not be so easy to wipe them away this time though, since this time, it was he who caused them to fall.

Shizuma walked off in a huff, but before she left, she glanced over at Tamao and stopped by Miyuki. She placed her hand on Miyuki's shoulder and joked with a forced smile, "Don't follow me this time, let me be an idiot on my own for once."

Then, in a flash, she disappeared into the storm, just as Tristan had done earlier, except she left without an umbrella, and without any means of transportation.

As Shizuma's mother struggled to her feet, she held her injury as she argued, "What are you going to do about your child? She was driven to such a violence by words alone. Heaven knows what she is capable of!"

"Don't think so highly of yourself…", Mr. Hanazono warned. "It was not your words that provoked her. It was my silence that frightened her."

"What are you talking about?"

With all the diplomacy and authority of a former student council president, Rokujou decided to give her input. "If I hadn't heard everything myself, I would have never believed that you were the woman Shizuma described you as. You really are… _despicable_."

"Child, you have no right to speak to me like that." she scorned.

"You don't even have a clue who I am, do you? Despite the fact that I will be marrying your son. That speaks volumes about you as a parent."

"She's right." Tamao stood up. "Hanazono-san, no, Shizuma may not be my favorite person in the world, but even she doesn't deserve what you put her through."

"Humph, who are you to talk about me like that?" she spoke arrogantly.

"They are people who know my daughter better than I do, especially after you had blinded me from the truth in front of me." Shizuma's father spoke wisely.

She couldn't believe her ears, even her husband had turned against her. "What are you saying…"

"I think that after this storm clears up, you should leave, whether you choose to pack or not is your own choice. I will make it official as soon as possible, but right now, you are a strain on my relationship between my children and I, and they were in my life longer than you." he spoke sternly with his back turned away from her.

"You're kidding…"

He turned towards her to show that he wasn't smiling. As a matter of fact, his eyes were like the eyes of a killer, cold and steady. He was dead serious about what he had just said. She walked into the hallway with a huff, slamming their bedroom door behind her.

"Mr. Hanazono…", Miyuki said with concern in her voice.

"I'm fine, just tell me. How did she speak about me?"

"You are just as she described,… she really does miss you."

He walked towards the door and traced his fingers across the wood towards the knob. Slowly he turned the doorknob and spoke, "I just hope that they both forgive me. They are my pride, my joy,… my life after all."

Just like the others, he slipped away into dense darkness of the storm, but it seemed like the outside weather did not affect him so much as the typhoon in his heart, as he left in search of his children and the lost happiness they once enjoyed, together as a family.


	7. Through the Storm

**Author's Note:** _Apologies for the late update. I hate to admit, but it totally slipped my mind -.-'_

~oOo~

 **Chapter 7:**

 _ **Through the Storm**_

The fire in the cave was blazing bright and strong, its light contrasting against the depressing storm that raged outside. It seemed that the storm's gloomy presence finally paid a toll on Nagisa and Shino as they sat quietly and awkwardly around the flame, worried that they might not be found.

Shino sat stoically, staring into the seemingly endless darkness outside of the cave. Even Nagisa took notice to the rare sight of Shino possibly thinking deeply about something. His normally cheerful, bright eyes were narrow and serious, and his smiling face was replaced with a stern, emotionless frown. Nagisa was deeply impressed, it seems that even Shino can be serious and she found a deeper, more profound respect for him.

Nagisa got curious. "Shino, what are thinking about?"

"Huh?" It was like he snapped out of a trance. "Uh… oh, I forgot!"

"Geez, come on, tell me! I know you remember!" she pouted.

Shino thought for a bit longer and slowly a smile crept up on his face. "I was just remembering something from the past, one of the few memories I have of my mother, father, Shizuma, and I, together as a family." But then he chuckled a bit and joked, "It was actually pretty funny."

"Really! I can't imagine how Shizuma was as a kid." Nagisa laughed.

Shino recalled, "If I remember correctly, it started about four months before mom died."

 **-Flashback Panic-**

 _Shizuma and Shino, both five years old, were as energetic as ever. Let loose in the park, it was the family's weekly routine to go out every weekend they could. Their father chased after them in a game of tag, as their weak mother sat smiling, watching from a nearby bench, shaded by a grand tree. Shino always carried his small backpack with him to hold any treasures he might find._

" _Dad look here, look here!" Shizuma called, crouching near a tree._

 _Mr. Hanazono, with Shino giddily laughing on his shoulders, curiously walked over to Shizuma. Their mother, also curious, struggled to her feet and slowly made her way towards her daughter._

" _Honey you have to see this!" Mr. Hanazono called excitedly._

" _Ok, ok, what are you all so excited for?" she said, slowly crouching beside the rest of her family._

 _To her amazement, an injured, seemingly abandoned puppy laid against the trunk of the tree. It was a medium-sized dog, but not yet fully grown, and had tan fur. His paws and ears were as black as his small beady eyes. His front left paw was wrapped in a bandage, something his previous owners must have done for him before leaving him there._

" _Can we keep him, please?" Shino begged._

" _I doubt it, suppose his owners plan on coming back." Mr. Hanazono reasoned._

" _I don't think we would be able to take care of a puppy in our situation. Maybe another time." Mrs. Hanazono tried._

 _Their father got up, helping his wife to her feet. "Let's go, time to get home. Tell the puppy good-bye and then we're leaving."_

 _As their parents walked towards the limo, Shino stroked the puppy and innocently said his goodbyes. "See you later, be here when we come back, okay?" The puppy let out a hearty yelp and whimpered._

 _Shizuma carefully lifted the puppy and held it to her chest. Shino, concerned, asked, "Shizuma, mom and dad both said we can't take him home. What do you plan on doing?"_

" _Isn't it obvious, we're taking him home." She spoke frankly. "Think about it! Imagine how surprised mom and dad will be when they see how healthy and big Takamaru gets."_

" _Takamaru?"_

" _That's what we'll name him, unless you have something better in mind."_

" _Maybe we should wait before we name him, just in case mom and dad really don't want to keep him."_

 _Shino gently took the puppy from his older twin sister and rested the animal in his backpack. The overjoyed puppy yelped and panted excitedly. "Shh…", Shino hushed as he quieted the wound up puppy. He closed the top of his backpack, careful to leave a small open space, big enough for air to come through but tiny enough so that his new young, energetic friend would not escape._

 _The twins ran toward the limo where their parents were waiting. The trip home had the twins sitting anxiously next to each other, Shino clutching his backpack close to him the entire time. Thankfully, their little friend remained quiet and cooperative through the whole limo ride home._

 _With the help of one of their servants, they cared for the dog, treating his injury and even helping him grow, in secret of course. Suddenly, the dog fell ill one day. Shizuma and Shino noticed one day when they were feeding him that he was moving around a lot less and seemed to lack energy. Around the same time, their mother's condition worsened and she was admitted to the hospital._

 _After two weeks of fretting over their ill dog and even sicker mother, they revealed their pet to their father, hoping he could take it to the vet. After the emotional toll caring for his wife had on him, the news of the dog did little to affect him and even caused a slight glimmer to form in the man's eyes. As they guided their father towards the dog, they witnessed something amazing._

 _Shocked, Shizuma yelled, "Takamaru's a girl!"_

 _Mr. Hanazono cleared his throat and said, "It's clear that your dog wasn't sick, rather, it seems that you have to rename him, since he's a she."_

" _Wow, look at all of them!" Shino exclaimed, barely able to contain his excitement._

 _It seems Takamaru was not actually a boy, but a girl and had a litter of puppies now. They secretly took the puppies with them as they visited their mother on her sickbed. She was definitely happy to see a mess of puppies and she even giggled as Shizuma and Shino explained the whole situation._

 **-Flashback** **Panic END-**

"So what happened?" Nagisa questioned.

"We couldn't keep the puppies so we ended up giving them away when they got old enough, and we renamed Takamaru, Shiroyuki, in remembrance of my mother who died four months after all of that."

"I see, that's not funny at all."

"Really? I guess it all depends on the way you look at it." Shino smiled.

Nagisa just looked at him with a tilted head and a puzzled expression. She mumbled to herself, "I don't get it all."

…

Meanwhile, Shizuma was battling to walk as she pushed against the thrashing torrents and mighty, unforgiving gales. Her silent steps were drowned out by the gusts of wind that rustled the trees and the huge puddles of water that splashed beneath her feet. She was attempting to clear her mind, but the harsh conditions made it difficult to do so.

Soon a pair of headlights approached her slowly. As she shielded her eyes from their blinding brightness, she heard a familiar voice beckon to her. "Lady Shizuma, it's dangerous, please get inside."

She lowered her arm as she sighed in relief. "Tristan, you're as reliable as ever." She chuckled with what little strength she had. "Thank you."

She quickly entered the limo on the passenger's side, right next to Tristan. As he revved the vehicle to keep the engine warm, he passed Shizuma a towel and stated, "Sorry this is all I have, but it seems you'll have to make do and dry off. Otherwise, you'll catch a serious cold."

"What would I do without you?" she rolled her eyes playfully as she took the towel from him and began drying her face and then moving up to her hair.

"What happened after I left? Hopefully not another dispute between you and the mistress." he questioned as he began to pull off, back into the depths of the storm.

"I don't know what kind of spell that witch put my father under, but you should have seen him standing there like a brick wall, letting her speak to me in such a way. And even worse, she had the audacity to raise her hand and hit me! Of course I wasn't taking that lying down, she got just what she deserved!"

"Oh my…" Tristan did his best to take in what she just said. If he wasn't so used to the confrontations between the two women he would have probably been far more surprised. "What did your father have to say about all that?"

"He had nothing to say before, so I didn't plan on waiting for him to say anything then."

"You realize that he was only trying to cope with the loss of his beloved, Lady Shiroyuki. You needn't be so harsh on him."

"Like I said to him before I left, there were other ways for him to resolve his grief. Our family wasn't broken, so he didn't need to try and fix it. I swear, if I didn't live in the Strawberry Dorms, I would've ran away from home a long time ago."

Tristan only sighed. It was clear to him that nothing he could say would ever change the way that Shizuma thinks, and quite frankly, he agreed with her despite his arguments. It was hard for him to see the family like this, not when he knew what they used to be. Those were his golden days.

There was an awkward silence between the two as Tristan drove carefully along the road with no set destination. Suddenly a bright flicker of light passed through the corner of Shizuma's eye. She pressed against the glass, straining her eyes to see where this light was coming from. As she began to distinguish what seemed to be a wreckage out beyond the lake, their ride came to a screeching halt as Tristan slammed brakes. Irritated, Shizuma let out a soft, low growl, but Tristan was already stepping out of the limo, his face riddled with shock and anxiety.

She stepped out of the car arguing, "Geez, what were you thinking Tris-" She was unable to finish her statement, instead, all she could do was cover a silent gasp.

Her father was laying in the road in pain as blood escaped the open wounds on his knee and forehead. They were large, but not large enough that he was in any danger. Tristan leaned over to help him up. It was obvious he was hit by the limo and thankfully, his harsh yet even breathing was a sign he was still alive.

As Tristan leaned Mr. Hanazono onto his shoulder, Shizuma cried, "Why did you leave the house!?"

Slowly, he joked, "Didn't you do the same thing?"

"That's not the point, why did you come after me?"

He was silent for a few moments, his face unusually expressive of a complicated mix of emotions.

Soon, he spoke, "I don't want to see you leave again. I don't want to see you cry again, and I definitely don't want to hurt you again. This applies to your brother, too. I've been neglecting my duty as your father, and even worse, I let a foreign entity ruin my relationship with my only two children, my pride and joy, my life. I couldn't just let my world collapse on me, I decided it was time to open my eyes and reach out to rebuild our happiness, the right way. I can't expect someone else to do that for me."

By this time, both Shizuma and Tristan had witnessed something they had never seen before. It had seemed almost miraculous, it was nearly impossible to believe. Bitter, soulful tears fell from Mr. Hanazono's eyes, something that had never happened before. The tears fell as furiously as the rain that surrounded them, like it had been building up for years and was finally able to burst through.

Shizuma was unable to hold back as she embraced her father, gentle tears rolling down her cheek. Even Tristan could tell that Mr. Hanazono had more than enough support from Shizuma, so he decided to start the limo back up, so he wouldn't get in the way of this family moment.

Tristan was having trouble getting the car to start, most likely because of the amount of water that probably found its way to the engine. Frustrated, Tristan kept revving the engine, but the car refused to wake up.

…

Back in the cave, Shino and Nagisa suddenly heard a strangely familiar sound.

"It's an engine! That means someone is close-by!" Shino yelled as he got up excitedly.

He walked out of the safety and comfort of the cave into the storm, followed closely by Nagisa. They could only slightly see two figures on the road, and another individual in a vehicle. It was hard to make out any distinctive details, but there were definitely people up there.

"We have to get them to notice us!" Shino noted.

"But how do we do that?"

Shino took a wise and stoic pose as he said, "…I have no idea."

Nagisa let out a disappointed sigh, not because she expected any better, but because she was hoping that he would prove her expectations of him wrong.

Suddenly, Nagisa drew in a great breath and yelled with all her might, "HEYYYYYY!"

Shino held his ears in pain at this high pitch scream. Annoyed he asked, "What are you doing?"

"You said it yourself, we have to get ourselves noticed. This is the only way I can think of."

She continued to yell out, joined by Shino.

…

Faint voices finally broke through the howl of the wind and traveled into Shizuma's ears.

"Does anyone else hear that?" she questioned, curiously. Suddenly she remembered the glimpse of light she saw just a little earlier while in the limo. She walked a little further down the road and finally caught another glimpse of the light, but now she could see two figures in front of the cave. She squinted to notice any distinct details.

"Is that... Is that Shino and Nagisa!?" she announced.


	8. Reunited

**Chapter 8:**

 _ **Reunited**_

"Is that Shino and Nagisa!?"

As soon as the words left Shizuma's mouth, Tristan was by her side with Mr. Hanazono hobbling up close behind. Mr. Hanazono squinted and struggled but eventually he was able to make out the form of his son waving to him in the distance, or at least what he hoped to be his son. Shizuma's eyes were better than good, so he could only rest his belief in her.

For Shizuma, there was no doubt in her mind that the two people standing there on that little piece of land in the distance were Shino and Nagisa. She couldn't see them clearly, in fact she could barely see them at all, but she just had a gut feeling and Shizuma Hanazono was a woman who believed in her gut.

"If it is really them, how on earth do we get there?" Tristan wondered aloud, shattering Shizuma's excitement.

Seeing them and reaching them were two totally different matters. Right now, she couldn't even call for help since the phones were probably still down. The hill down was steep and the little island sat near the dead center of the huge lake. How they got there in the first place was an absolute mystery for her!

Suddenly Tristan let out a long, overly exaggerated groan gathering attention from both of the Hanazonos. The typically humble and silent man took on a whole new personality in front of them, exuding all the arrogant confidence of a teenage rebel. "Well I guess it's up to me then." he chuckled strangely, combing his fingers through the locks of gray that lined his predominantly dark brown hair.

Shizuma and her father glanced at each other, sharing the same skeptical look in their eyes. "And what could you possibly do?" Mr. Hanazono muttered with narrowed eyes.

Tristan looked at him, genuinely hurt. "Sir, do you by any chance not remember what my previous job was? I _was_ the best in the business you know."

"We know but that was like _ages_ ago." Shizuma piped in. "You're not exactly as young as you used to be you know. I doubt you can still do it."

Tristan was shocked. "I can do it, and I'll prove it! I've only gotten better with age!"

…

"Those people sure have been standing there for a long time." Nagisa pouted. "Do you think they even care?"

"We can't just give up faith! They'll probably be down any minute!" Shino exclaimed sprightly, ending with a hearty laugh that made Nagisa uncomfortable. _I think he's finally lost it..._

Suddenly they watched the three figures get into the vehicle and watched it rumble in what they assumed was the roar of the engine kicking up. The car revved so loudly that Shino and Nagisa could hear it from way down there. The driver was definitely raring to go, with his metal chariot channeling his raw exhilaration.

In one quick maneuver, the vehicle was facing the lake and neither of the two could begin to imagine what was going through the driver's head at this point. The headlights were a bright, piercing gold color that resembled the eyes of a hunting wolf ready to pounce.

"What's this guy up to?" Shino questioned anxiously, suddenly not feeling so chipper anymore. In all honesty, he was a little scared to find out.

…

"With enough speed this baby will skip across that water, no problem. The real question is whether or not this limo can handle that sort of pressure." Tristan mumbled to himself, drowning out anything that wasn't the vehicle he was driving. "What am I thinking, of course you can handle it! I've been with you for years so now you can practically feel what I feel and respond to it. With all this excitement I have welling up inside, such a simple maneuver would be child's play for me and you!" he practically cooed to the limo as he rubbed an affectionate hand over the dashboard of his metallic lover.

"Tristan, what exactly are you planning here? Don't forget you have passengers and get too crazy." Mr. Hanazono near pleaded. _Although it might be a little late for that,_ he observed mentally, realizing that his pleas were definitely falling on deaf ears. Tristan couldn't acknowledge anything outside of the vehicle in front of him and the idea in his head.

Mr. Hanazono did well in covering the actual fear he felt in the pit of his stomach. In his business he's perfected the art of speaking clearly, strongly, and coolly despite the jitters one felt inside.

"I'm pretty sure he's far gone at this point." Shizuma commented while calmly fastening her seatbelt. She didn't normally bother to wear them, but she knew that they were probably in for a _very_ bumpy ride.

"How could you possibly be so calm in this situation?"

Shizuma shrugged. "I'm surprised that you're panicking, since you _are_ the one who's usually the coolest person around." she rolled her eyes, her tone laced with underlying frustration. Mr. Hanazono didn't seem to pick up on it though.

"Normally yes, but..." he paused for a moment as he leaned back in his chair a bit. Suddenly he erupted with a growl as he grabbed at his silver locks, almost ripping them from his scalp. "Is he forgetting that he hit me with the damn limo a few moments ago!? I'm injured… and bleeding, dammit!", he added as he realized he forgot to get the medical kit out the trunk and bandage up his wounds. Now there's blood on the leather!

With the mood Tristan was in right now, it would be suicide for Mr. Hanazono to attempt to get the medical kit now. So instead, he only fastened his seatbelt and hoped for the best.

One more powerful growl from the engine, a glimmer that flashed through Tristan's eyes, and that was it; the green light was given and Tristan sped off road, easily surpassing one-hundred miles per hour. It was like a descent into hell as the limo came crashing down onto the lake, thrashing its unprepared passengers like rag-dolls.

Just as Tristan predicted, the limo practically skipped across the lake like a smooth rock before skidding onto the land just outside the cave, barely avoiding a serious collision with Shino and Nagisa who were frozen stiff when the vehicle landed within inches of them. In one final act of supremacy in the maneuvering arts, Tristan did a complete 360 turn to slow down and then moved into a near 90 degree turn to avoid impact with the outside walls of the cave.

As soon as the limo came to a complete stop, Tristan hopped out of his beloved vehicle with a caper. Lovingly, he embraced as much of the hood as his arms would allow. "I knew we could still pull this off! I'm so proud of you." he cooed.

With less than half the energy Tristan displayed, the Hanazono duo practically fell out the mechanical deathtrap, completely drained.

"I think I finally got over my fear of roller-coasters..." Mr. Hanazono muttered, barely able to keep himself up and struggling to keep back the bile in his throat.

"I swear I'll never tease that annoying explorer girl from that stupid American cartoon again. This is the first time I'll ever agree: seatbelts, so we can be safe." Shizuma added, slowly regaining posture.

Nagisa watched, her face suddenly becoming warm against the cold rain pelting her skin. It felt like she was witnessing a miracle as she watched her silver-haired goddess emerge from her metal four-wheeled chariot. She knew it was a little dramatic to think like that, but after all she had been through, _today alone_ , to call it a relief would be an understatement.

Before Shizuma had completely regained all her bearings, she found herself nearly being knocked off of her feet as her younger lover tackled her in an embrace. She may not have been completely aware of everything going on around her, but the second she felt Nagisa's arms around her, Shizuma pulled the girl closer to her. As their eyes met, and amidst all the confusion and drama and... trauma they had experienced today, they finally found some form of relief and comfort.

Suddenly, the sound of a throat being forcefully cleared interrupted the sweet moment, much to Shizuma's annoyance. Nagisa turned to find a frighteningly large man standing before her and the color fell from her face and chills worse than what she was already experienced shot from her crown to her toes. Realizing the obvious, admittedly adorable fear on her girlfriend's face Shizuma finally spoke up.

"Ah I almost forgot, this is the first time you two are meeting." Shizuma pointed out, only slightly annoyed by her father's meddling.

"I'm not sure if this is the ideal time or place for introductions." Shino joked, gesturing towards the cave, fire still fiercely ablaze.

Tristan outright refused to leave his limo all alone out in the rain while everyone else headed toward shelter and it took a great deal of negotiation on Shino's part to convince him otherwise. Everyone (reluctantly) agreed to a single condition, that Tristan could bring 'Bella', an almost long-forgotten name he had affectionately gifted to his metal lover. He wished for her to "warm up by the open fire". Of course, for safety purposes, everyone had to stand outside the cave and wait, more or less over the fear that Tristan might be overcome by his inner speed demons or channel Evel Knieval.

"Honestly, I never would have guessed it was Tristan driving just now. He never really struck me as the... reckless type." Nagisa mused, though she was careful to soften her voice on the last part. The cherry-head sat dreamily settled near the fire, snuggled into the embrace of her silver goddess.

Shino chuckled, piquing Nagisa's curiosity. She pouted as Shino unknowingly teased her with his laughter.

"Tristan used to be a professional stunt driver before our father scooped him up at the age of twenty to serve the family." Shino explained finally picking up on Nagisa's growing frustration.

"That's not exactly a really safe decision..." Nagisa commented softly, making Shizuma snicker a bit.

"I was the youngest world-renowned stunt driver in history, starting my career at fifteen." Tristan chimed in with slight offence. "I worked for five years with a perfect track record, no accidents, no injuries on the job." He added, carefully attending to Mr. Hanazono's wounds, winding a bandage around the man's knee.

"He's very reliable and was already a professional driver. He has a clean police record and hasn't crashed once in his lifetime, his fault or otherwise. The only problem is when he gets a little over-excited." Mr. Hanazono spoke in his usual emotionless tone.

His presence alone was enough to have Nagisa literally trembling with fear, a reaction Shizuma attributed to cold chills after being soaked in the icy rain. Everyone there was drenched and desperately trying to warm up by the fire, annoyed by the cold gust that seemed to keep finding its way back. All she felt she could do was pull her little strawberry even closer to herself, hoping that their combined body heat would be enough to at least quell the shivering. _'If only so many people weren't around, we could do this the right way. Or at least, if Nagisa weren't quite so shy..'_ Shizuma smirked devilishly to herself.

"After some thinking, we may have made a serious miscalculation in this plan." Tristan suddenly interrupted Shizuma's gutter-worthy thoughts. "Has anyone accounted for how we'll get back up to the road?" He looked around and watched the as reality dawned on everyone at once.

Well, everyone except Shizuma it seemed, whose smirk only seemed to grow larger. "I don't mind one bit as long as I'll be trapped here with my little Nagisa!" She announced as she slowly caressed the girl's ear and cheek, causing her to whimper as she attempted to chastise her incorrigible lover.

"Shizuma, please don't forget that we'll be in the cave the whole time as well. In other words, please behave." Shino voiced the words Nagisa was attempting to get out.

Shizuma cursed a bit under her breath, words she would have had no problems spitting if her father wasn't there, listening intently for the opportunity to give a lecture. Nagisa rolled her eyes as she leaned deeper into Shizuma's embrace.

 **~oOo~**

 **Author's Note:** _This chapter has been finished for a while I just forgot to upload it -.-' my humblest apologies. Side note tho, I've been completely obsessed with Korrasami recently XD Anybody wanna fuel my addiction with some recommendations, anything will do really. PM pls!_


	9. Sometimes it's Hard

**Author's Note:** _There will be no more delays! Every saturday a new chapter will be released around this time up till the end! Hurricane Matthew presented a huge setback with everything here in The Bahamas but now that everything is back on the up and up there shouldn't be anymore issues! Without further ado, Chapter 9!_

~oOo~

 **Chapter 9:**

 _ **Sometimes it**_ _ **'**_ _ **s hard…**_

Miyuki was becoming too familiar with the sound of the phone ring, waiting and hoping with each call that the ringing would finally be interrupted with the voice she wanted to hear more than anything right now. Normally Shino was quick to answer, barely letting the phone get through a single ring before he'd pick up.

She feared for the worst _, '…especially how Shizuma stormed out of here… that idiot…'_. The former student council president sighed, just imagining all the trouble her best friend could be getting into. In a sense, it was her way of comforting herself. Imagining Shizuma simply getting into her usual antics while she was worried sick, it made her believe this is how every story between them was supposed to end, no matter how hard it was to understand while it was happening.

The way Miyuki saw things, she had two main options:

1\. She could go after Shizuma and give her a stern lecture. But she had no idea where to find her, or any of them for that matter. She wasn't quite as reckless as the others, so she assumed things wouldn't quite work out for her as it would for them. Then there was;

2\. She could stay at the house and continue to get needlessly intimate with the phone ring, but she felt like her heart was ready to burst. This was the first time she had to worry about this many people at once and she wasn't sure if she would make it through this one without having a heart attack.

Tamao could sense the deep torment coming from Miyuki. At this point, the phone was practically dangling from her ear as the busy network tone begged to be noticed. "Um… Rokujou-san…"

Miyuki didn't respond, not even a flinch. Tamao called to her again, this time adding slightly more force and volume to her voice. "Rokujou-san."

"Hmm…" she dazed slightly, still barely responsive.

Soon a sharp slam completely knocked Miyuki out of her self-induced trance. She quickly hung up the phone to investigate but it seemed that, as she's become so accustomed to in her life with Shizuma, trouble came to her instead.

"How could he do this to me? Me! Of all people!" she barked.

Her once neat, fixed hair was now disheveled and her arrogant and pompous expression was replaced with that of pure ire. She was an emotional wreck, thrashing about without any thought.

 _If I didn't know any better…_ Miyuki thought to herself with a sort of relief for at least some familiarity in all this… craziness.

Mrs. Hanazono stomped down the hallway with what seemed like a tornado slowly pacing behind her. As she stepped into the living room, she picked up a vase at the end of the corridor and violently threw it to the other end of the house, barely missing Tamao as it smashed to bits against the wall just behind her.

The woman was as absolute wreck as she stepped into the living room with the two girls, huffing and puffing at them. "Who the hell are you children to ruin my perfect life!? Everything was fine before you two and that dyke-child, Shizuma, came along and ruined my happiness!"

Miyuki was surprised, if not somewhat bemused by the lady who completely snapped and tore at the seams before her.

Tamao on the other hand didn't find it so amusing, snapping back at the woman in an instant. "I'm sure their life was great without you too! Why do you feel like your own selfish desires are worth tearing three loving family members apart!?"

Tamao had no idea where this bravery was coming from. She sometimes had trouble just speaking to her fellow classmates, upperclassmen even more so, but now she was facing down a madwoman and was easily standing her ground. Maybe all the stress of everything that happened so far finally made her lose it. Maybe she's finally snapped too...

Unfortunately though, Tamao's bravado only seemed to stroke the flames inside of Mrs. Hanazono, her hand instinctively flying up in the air. As the woman swat down at Tamao like she was trying to crush some fly in her air, her hand was stopped midway as Rokujou gave her a glare with almost twice the fury she had. Her eyes shone with an intensity that Tamao had never seen before, the blunette mentally noted with a silent swallow.

"I won't have you raise your hand against another one of my friends. You caught me by surprise with Shizuma, but if you think you'll get away scot-free with that nonsense again, I dare you to try it. I won't be held accountable for my actions." She spoke in a cold, even tone that frightened even Tamao, but not half as much as the woman receiving the threat.

Mrs. Hanazono slowly slid to her knees as Miyuki released her from her grip. Soon the gentle sound of silent sobbing shocked the two students. Her voice cracked a bit as she sobbed, "Why… why is this happening? All I want… is my Tetsuro back."

"Tetsuro?" Tamao questioned. She turned to Rokujou hoping for a little enlightenment.

"I believe that is Mr. Hanazono's first name."

"Yes, Tetsuro.. I love him. I was willing to accept everything about him. His coldness. His busy schedule. His first love… accepting I could never hold the same kind of place in his heart that she did.", she became slightly apprehensive at this point. "I wanted him to finally be happy."

"How could you claim to accept everything about him if you can't stand his children? They're his flesh and blood, his heart-strings, and his only living memories of his former wife…" Miyuki spoke with genuine bafflement in her voice. "They're his whole life."

"Did you even bother to give them a chance?" Tamao added. "Sure Shizuma-san does idiotic things more often than not, but she's one of the smartest people I know. And Shino-san is probably the nicest."

The pink haired woman scoffed at the two, averting her eyes in defiance. "Regardless, I am their father's wife which makes me their mother. That Shizuma needs to learn and accept that."

"Step-mother." Tamao corrected. Mrs. Hanazono's eyes narrowed, but the few tears that crept to the corner of her eyes betrayed her fury, and it was clear that Rokujou was surprised by Tamao's newfound boldness. "Being a mother isn't simply a title, it isn't something that you would have achieved just by marrying their father. A mother isn't someone who tries to sculpt the perfect child, and it isn't necessarily the person who always tries to do what's best for you. A mother is someone who is always there for you. Some mothers are affectionate mothers and some are scolding mothers, but it's still their own brand of love that they give unconditionally to a child that isn't necessarily their own. That's a mother. Not someone who tries to orchestrate a child's life behind the scenes, because people are not puppets and you can't force them to do what you want!"

Mrs. Hanazono was struck speechless. She wiped the lonely tears from her eyes and slowly rose to her feet. Silently she glided over to the chair that was directly across from where Tamao was once sitting. She sat down without a word and Tamao, although a bit tentative, followed suit. Even Miyuki joined them as she sat next to Tamao. There was just a coffee table with a picture frame and vase, and a whole atmosphere of silence between them.

Mrs. Hanazono stretched her arm over to the coffee table to grab the picture frame. Slowly she caressed its wooden edges, gazing upon it tenderly. Soon the two blunettes witnessed something amazing. For the first time since they entered the house, it seemed that Mrs. Hanazono cracked a truly sincere, and loving smile. It was something that Shino nor Shizuma had witnessed before, if the stories Shizuma told her best friend (give or take some embellishment) had any truth to them.

"I don't hate them you know." She spoke with calm sincerity in her voice, never breaking gaze on the picture. "Those two kids of his, I don't particularly dislike them either. I'm just…" she sighed in frustration, resting the frame back in its place.

It was a photo of the Hanazono family, before Shiroyuki died. It was actually taken at the park, on the same day they took their dog home. In fact, the family was huddled together next to the pooch, each sporting their own signature smile. It seemed like everyone was caught laughing in this picture, even Mr. Hanazono although it was a bit uncharacteristic of him to do.

"I wanted to see it, too. His genuine smile, so warm and inviting like the sun. I've seen him smile a few times before, but never like this, only in the old family pictures. I was so jealous that they got to see it." Suddenly she laughed quietly, "Sometimes they were probably even the cause of it. Never me. I wasn't even around. And when I did finally enter the picture… it was all already gone. His wife, his kids,... his smile..."

Miyuki visibly softened. "I understand what you're going through." she smiled with a hint of wisdom playing on her lips. "When you love someone, you want nothing more than for them to be happy. You want to bring back their real smile and you're unsatisfied receiving anything less. Then, finally when you realize that there is someone out there who can save them from the darkness they were throwing themselves into - someone other than you - it's hard to accept. When there is someone who that person loves more than you, it gets so hard."

Her listeners visibly darkened, even Miyuki herself fell a bit flat on the thought, but she continued with a soft smile. "But at some point I realized that, if I truly loved that person as much as I thought I did, then I would gladly make way for that other person to save them. In the end, although I won't hold the seat of most loved, I know I'll still be loved, and I'll be able to see that person smiling again."

Tamao's eyes began glimmering a bit with enlightenment, but she did not say a word. Even though she understood the implications of Miyuki's story, she dared not speak it, and vowed never to repeat it.

"Tell me then, where would that leave me?" Mrs. Hanazono questioned with a slight tremble in her voice, afraid to hear the answer.

Miyuki offered her a reassuring smile. "You might still have a chance to continue as Mrs. Hanazono, but that will be up to him."

Mrs. Hanazono bit her bottom lip and shivered a bit, remembering all the things she's said and done to Shino and Shizuma, almost all of it in his presence. It was unlikely he would still take her back after all that.

"If what Shino and Shizuma told me is true…", Miyuki continued. "Then, you might not have much to worry about. If there's anyone you should worry about, it's Shizuma, since she's not so quick to change her mind about anything." She spoke the last part jokingly.

Mrs. Hanazono stood up just as easily as she had sat down. She strolled towards the hallway with a proud posture and just as she was about to step foot into the corridors she said, "My husband has a special contact you can use. Knowing him, he probably has the everything handled. It's on the speed dial as 4; it's supposed to be able to reach even if he was in the middle of a blizzard in Antarctica."

Rokujou leaped to her feet and ran to the phone, but just before she dialed she was sure to say, "Thank you. This really means a lot."

Mrs. Hanazono nodded, "Rokujou... Miyuki was it? Take good care of Shino, and keep Shizuma out of trouble. I honestly don't know what I'd do if something were to happen to them."

"You don't have to ask. It's my duty." Miyuki mused.

Mrs. Hanazono smiled and nodded again, before disappearing back into the dark corridors.

The reliable ex-student council president was back to the phone, this time brimming with confidence as the line began to ring. She felt her heart almost stop when there was an answer on the other line.

" _Hello, is that you Misora?_ _"_

"No, this is Miyuki. Mr. Hanazono, are you alright?"

" _How did you get this number, only my wife and kids are supposed to know it._ _"_

"Mrs. Hanazono told me the speed dial. Are you with anyone?"

" _Everyone's fine, we're all here together._ _"_

"Where are you?"

" _Shi-shizuma wait I'm_ _…_ _I_ _'m_ _talking… let me finish… Shizuma!_ _"_

"What's going on, are you sure you're all right?"

Nobody responded immediately and all she could hear was what sounded like a struggle. Finally someone picked up.

" _Hello, who is this?_ _"_

"Shizuma is that you?"

" _Ah Miyuki-chan I haven't seen you in ages, how are you?_ _"_

"Now's not the time to play around Shizuma! Where are you?"

" _We're in that cave, you know the one in the middle of… What's this lake called again?… Oh yeah, Silverwinds. But everyone's fine don't worry about us._ _"_

"Don't screw around! I'll send help, I'll call the police. Until then don't move."

" _Where would I go when I'm here with my cute little Nagisa-chan?_ _"_

Miyuki sighed in frustration, squeezing the skin between her brows before hanging up the phone, but she was definitely relieved to hear that everyone was okay. With the storm outside showing signs of subsiding in the next hour or so, things were looking bright already.


	10. Reliable Miyuki

**Author's Note:** As promised~

 **Chapter 10:**

 _ **Reliable Miyuki**_

Shizuma snickered a bit as she handed the cell phone back to her father.

"Sometimes you're so childish Shizuma!" Mr. Hanazono complained as he snatched his phone back from her.

"Don't worry. It's fine, it's fine! Miyuki just called to see how everyone was doing. Nothing I couldn't handle."

Nagisa was amazed to see how at ease Shizuma was around her father, considering how much he had such an imposing presence. Seeing Shizuma so enthusiastic, it was something Nagisa yearned to see again after the Etoile elections and Shizuma's graduation.

Shino laughed, "Thankfully we're relying on Miyuki here and not Shizuma. We may have died of starvation before she even realized we were all gone."

"That's not true!" Shizuma squawked. " For my dear Nagisa-chan, I'd have come down here myself, swam across the lake, grabbed her up and carried her the whole way home." Then with a smirk, she added, "You two on the other hand, are grown men. You should be able to handle yourselves."

"You hear that Shino? My daughter, your twin, would have left us both for dead." Mr. Hanazono mused.

"I'm sure she was only joking. Right Shizuma?"

Shizuma averted her eyes, and thought for a second. "I was only kidding."

"You don't even sound like you're trying to convince anyone." Shino deadpanned.

"Shhh! You'll wake up the two new lovers over there." Shizuma chuckled pointing towards Tristan who was sleeping, in a rather uncomfortable looking position, leaning against the wheel of his newfound metal lover 'Bella'. "They make a good couple!"

Nagisa giggled in Shizuma's lap. Tristan had dozed off within the first fifteen minutes of being in the cave. Thanks to that adrenaline rush he had earlier, Tristan was completely drained. And nobody argued that the man deserved a good rest after all he had been through that day.

"My, my Nagisa…" Shizuma stroked her fingers through cherry-colored locks of hair. "You've been quiet this whole time. Something bothering you?"

Nagisa froze up for a second. Suddenly, she shot up, sitting upright as she started to sputter. "Oh no… I was… j-just... thinking… th-that's a-all."

Shizuma shot her a disapproving gaze. Nagisa wasn't good at lying especially not when her eyes were locked with Shizuma's. It was like Shizuma's gaze would drag the truth out of her, and to make it worse, it was impossible for Nagisa to negate the deadlock.

"Well, the truth is… don't take this the wrong way o-or anything… a-nd I don't really mean anything by it…"

"Nagisa…" Shizuma urged on, becoming visibly concerned.

"The tru-truth is… I'm a little nervous around Mr. Hanazono!" she somehow managed to shout it out all at once without even realizing it. "He scares me a bit." she admitted quietly.

"Me?" Mr. Hanazono pointed to himself with a baffled look on his face. "I didn't realize."

Shizuma erupted in laughter while Shin attempted to stifle a few chuckles, considerate of the fact that Nagisa seemed to be close to tears and completely embarrassed all at once right about now. The silver-haired woman snaked her arms around her lover's shoulders.

Shizuma mused, "He's completely harmless, like a sheep in wolf's clothing! But he's been blessed with a rough face and cool composure because otherwise he'd be destroyed in the cutthroat world of business."

"I suppose that's true enough." Mr. Hanazono nodded in agreement, a slight blush evident on his cheeks. When Nagisa saw the slight blush on the man's face, she giggled a bit as she mused in her mind, _"I guess even men his size can get embarrassed."_

Shizuma pulled her younger lover's head back onto her lap and continued to stroke her cherry hair, fiddling with her ear every so often. Silently she spoke so that only Nagisa could hear. "You know, I was starting to think you were unhappy with me in some way just now."

Nagisa could feel a smile slowly make its way on her face as she breathed, "Uh-uh. Never."

~oOo~

Meanwhile, with the storm clearing up and the wind getting calm, all Miyuki had to do was drop the name 'Hanazono' in the report to the police emergency lines, and they were there in a matter of minutes. It didn't hurt that Miyuki's uncle was head of the police emergency squadron either.

Tamao decided to stay behind, though she never really explained why. All she said was, "I have something I want to think about alone." and that was that.

There were four police cars, speeding across the drenched roads. It's been half an hour since Rokujou's conversation with the former Etoile and the dark clouds were already starting to dispel as the sun's gentle rays started to peek through. The torrential rains and powerful gales soon turned into a light drizzle with a calm island breeze.

Miyuki rode in the first car, with her uncle driving, and there were two more behind them. Miyuki was never a very sociable person and neither was her uncle, so conversation was always awkward between the two, if there was any at all. He was already filled in with the details of the situation given his position. There was absolutely nothing for them to talk about. Still, he tried.

"So, how's school going?"

"I graduated. It was a great ceremony. Your invitation was sent in the mail."

"Right, right. I do remember seeing that now that you mention it, but I was really busy at the time so…" he trailed off, scratching the back of his head nervously. "So you know what career you're looking for? The police are always looking for new people."

"I've been training to take over the family company since I was young, remember?"

He was getting nervous realizing how little he knew about his niece, but he continued despite that. "Sounds great! Only thing you have left to do now is find a nice man to marry, am I right?"

"I'm already engaged to Shino, remember? You also should have received that invitation."

"Right, right, it came in the mail." He didn't have the guts to reveal that he completely forgot about it.

Finally, he was struck with the wisdom to remain silent after all his failed attempts at small talk. Thankfully the drive wasn't too long. He pulled up to the edge of the road overlooking Lake Silverwinds with his fellow officers pulling up nearby. In the distance they could see the fire and a few shadows inside the cave.

Quickly one of the officers pulled out a few inflatable rafts from the back of his trunk, enough for each of the four officers, including their chief, to have one. Miyuki stayed up on the road, while her uncle led the rest of the officers into the lake on their rafts.

…

"And just like that huh? I guess Miyuki really is reliable, unlike a certain daughter of mine." Mr. Hanazono commented as he noticed the police approaching in their rubber rafts.

"It's finally time to go then!" Shino noted, stretching happily as he rose to his feet.

"Guess so." Shizuma sighed. As she stood up, she lifted Nagisa and held her bridal style, causing the smaller girl to immediately become flustered in her arms.

"Geez, Shizuma!" Nagisa pouted. "I can walk on my own, this is just embarrassing!"

"I'll treat you to some tea later on, okay?" Shizuma winked.

"Really? Cake, too!?", she suddenly became over-excited and Shizuma could have sworn she saw a little tail wagging restlessly behind her.

Shizuma laughed a bit, "Yes, whatever you want. You know, sometimes I feel like you love cake more than me."

"That's not true, I love you both equally." she said innocently.

"…I don't know how I'm supposed to feel about that."

…

Meanwhile, with the mist from the rain clearing up and the sun peeking through the clouds, Miyuki had a great view of everything that was going on. She could see Shizuma carrying Nagisa into the first raft, Shino getting into the next raft, and Mr. Hanazono in the one after that. Who she couldn't seem to spot was Tristan.

As they approached the road in the rafts, it was now Miyuki's job to toss down the ladder and secure the other end to the road. It was easy for everyone to climb up, although Shizuma did have a few complaints since she had to let go of Nagisa so she could climb up.

"I swear to god Shizuma, if you do something this stupid again you can expect more than just a long lecture next time." Miyuki warned her silver-haired friend.

"Ughhhh, does this mean I'm still getting a lecture?" Shizuma deflated.

Miyuki sighed, "Not this time. Consider it a late graduation present from me."

Everyone made it up safely save for one and Miyuki couldn't help but wonder aloud, "Where's Tristan, I thought he was with you? And why hasn't my uncle returned yet?"

"The driver?" one of the officers interrupted. "He said he wasn't leaving without 'Bella', which is apparently what he named the limo. The chief stayed back to negotiate with him to come up, but he just keeps refusing. So chief told us to continue on ahead and he'll call a salvage team to bring up the limo."

"It's hard to keep a man from his lover, even if she's made out of cold, hard metal." Shino joked as he landed a kiss on his fiancée's cheek.

The salvage team arrived within twenty minutes and, with the help of a helicopter, lifted 'Bella' onto the road, with Tristan already safely inside despite all the warnings he was given against it. The police chief made his way to the ladder in his raft and climbed back up to the road.

With everyone safe and accounted for, rafts deflated, and 'Bella' revved up, it was time to head back.

Mr. Hanazono was more than just a little upset about the car arrangements. He was put into the first car to ride along with Chief Rokujou, while both of his kids were put into separate cars along with their lovers and out of his sight. Miyuki refused to ride back with her uncle and nobody even realized when Shizuma claimed the last car as her and Nagisa's "temporary love nest".

He wasn't too concerned with Miyuki and Shino. "Miyuki is responsible and Shino's hanging on to the morals I taught him." he thought out loud. But then there was Shizuma. It's not like he didn't know that she was sexually active, more like she doesn't even try to hide it. "I just hope she doesn't do anything to that poor innocent girl.", he sighed. Yes, he knew Shizuma was sexually active, it was Nagisa, and the couple's numerous escapades he wasn't aware of.

Tristan refused to be separated from Bella, so he drove the limousine behind the line of police cars. The drive home seemed to lag on forever, especially to Mr. Hanazono, who wanted nothing more than to check up on Shizuma as soon as possible.

Finally everyone arrived back at the house, the sun no longer peaking but shining as brightly as it had when they first left the house, before all of this even began. However, it was clear that there was only a little time left before sunset.

For the first time in a long time, Shizuma was actually excited to open up the door to the house. She had jumped out the car with her beloved even before her father had the chance to come check. She held Nagisa's shoulders, pulling her close as she enthusiastically pushed the door open and yelled, "We're back!"

When the door flew open, the first thing they spotted was Tamao scrambling up from her seat and quickly making her way towards them, running to hug her cherry-haired friend. Shizuma hissed, but neither of them broke the hug, squealing with excitement to be reunited. They did a twirl in each other's embrace just before separating. Suddenly, the blunette's face grew dead serious and she stepped back and looked over the two, seemingly mulling over something in her mind.

Suddenly Tamao blurted, "Nagisa, I love you!"


	11. It's A Promise

**Chapter 11:**

 _ **It's a Promise**_

"Nagisa, I love you!"

The redhead was at a lost for words, completely caught off guard. Of course though, Shizuma was never the type to be left dumbfounded.

"You… who the hell do you think you are!? Confessing to my Nagisa all of a sudden!" Shizuma held Nagisa tightly with one hand and lunged at Tamao with the other, gripping her by her collar.

"Stop it, Shizuma!" Nagisa commanded, looking Shizuma straight in the eyes. Hesitantly, the girl obeyed, mentally noting the unusual dynamic that just occurred.

Nagisa turned toward to Tamao, her eyes riddled with sympathy. With her voice cracking at the pressure, she apologized, "Tamao, I'm sorry. A-and I never realized... Tamao I'm so sorry." Slowly she pulled her eyes away from her best friend's as she continued, pearly tears now streaming down her cheek, "But Tamao, I love Shizuma."

"I know." Tamao said surprisingly cheerful. "I wasn't trying to change the relationship between you and I, nor was I trying to break apart what you have with Shizuma."

"Then why would you confess to her so suddenly?" Shino interrupted, approaching the doorstep with his arm wrapped around Miyuki's shoulders. His entire demeanor had changed dramatically, from his voice to the expression on his face. He was always known for his protective nature, especially when it came to his family.

"I guess you could say it was for me." She looked at Nagisa and smiled gently, "I was just keeping the promise I made to Nagisa at the beach house."

"Promise?" Shizuma echoed curiously raising her brow.

Tamao gestured for them to follow her, mostly to get everyone from crowding the doorway. She walked towards the chairs with everyone else close behind. As they took their seats, Miyuki noticed that Mr. Hanazono and Tristan were continuing down the hallway.

"Aren't you two going to sit?" she called.

Mr. Hanazono answered with an unreadable expression on his face, "I feel as though it would be best I didn't stay. This doesn't concern me."

"My feelings are the same." Tristan chimed in. "This is for you young people. If you'll excuse us, then." he humbly bowed before continuing down the corridor behind his employer.

In no time at all, the attention was back on Tamao. Shizuma and Nagisa sat in the settee directly across from Tamao, with Shino and Miyuki sitting in the seat beside them. The silence that surrounded them was deafening.

Finally Nagisa attempted to ease the tenseness filling the air around them, "Uhmm, Tamao…" before being interrupted.

"I remember when I first met you, the day you transferred into St. Miator, and the day I finally got a new roommate." Tamao reminisced. She giggled, "It was quite a shock to see you being carried in by none other than our Etoile-sama!"

"So it _was_ you." Nagisa whispered into Shizuma's ear.

Shizuma placed her finger at the tip of Nagisa's nose and smiled slyly. "Guilty as charged. Would you have preferred me to leave you out there?"

"As I was saying…" Tamao interrupted a little more rudely than she had intended. "I was already expecting to feel some form of strong connection with my new roommate, I mean, I was waiting for this for so long! But what I felt with Nagisa… it was so much greater than I had anticipated. With every passing day, my curiosity, my interest... my feelings… it all somehow morphed into love."

Suddenly Tamao's face grew grim and her smile soon turned into a slight frown. She became silent, but no one edged her on.

Slowly she continued, "But the more my feelings grew, so did the distance between us. All Nagisa would think about was Shizuma. In her confusion, in her sadness, in her excitement, it was always Shizuma. For some reason though, I still tried to compete. I wanted to protect her, _I_ wanted to be the one who protected her. Then the Etoile elections came…"

By this time, bitter tears were already caressing Tamao's cheeks. Nagisa sprang from the chair to comfort her friend as Tamao began to sink to the floor. Nagisa caught her and sobbed, "You don't have to Tamao… if it hurts, you don't have to talk anymore."

Normally, Shizuma wouldn't have sat by quietly and watch her lover hold on to someone else, especially not if that somebody else was Tamao. But this time the situation was different and even Shizuma, although a bit dense at times, knew this wasn't the time to throw a fit.

" _What they have is similar to what Nagisa and I have, but definitely different… closer to an innocent version of what Miyuki and I have_ _..._ _maybe_ _?_ _"_ Shizuma mused in her head. _"Thinking back on it now… damn I hate nostalgia."_

Tamao hung her head low as she choked, "During the Etoile elections, I was able to physically let go of you, Nagisa, but for some reason my heart still held on. Even now it hasn't completely let go... yet." Slowly she started to regain her calm composure. "I've searched for a way to tell my heart it was time to let go, and thanks to Rokujou-san, I think I've finally found a way to show my heart it was time to let go... that Nagisa would be okay if I let go."

"What I said? I don't remember..." Miyuki placed a finger on her chin thoughtfully.

Tamao smiled a bit. "It wasn't exactly directed to me, but rest assured I was listening very attentively. You've indirectly taught me something very important and it's thanks to that I can let go. Thank you, Rokujou-san!"

"But, I…"

"Let it go." Shino said as he wrapped his arm around Miyuki's shoulders and pulled her closer while landing a small peck on her cheek.

Nagisa scurried back over to Shizuma's side and snuggled against a mane of silver that blanketed a warm shoulder.

Suddenly Tamao stood to her feet and wiped the tears from her eyes. Her face turned serious as she glared towards Shizuma, provoking a slight uneasiness in the former Etoile's stomach, an uneasiness she was all too familiar with.

" _Don't tell me it's going to turn into a lecture. Those are the eyes Miyuki give me right before a lecture. Damn, this kid is like a mini Miyuki, which normally would turn me on, but damn the only thing she has on her is blue hair and the same ability to kill me with long, boring words."_ Shizuma ranted within her own mind, bracing herself for what was to come.

"Hanazono-san… this is the first and only time I'd ever ask a favor of you. Please accept it." she bowed low.

Shizuma, utterly confused and admittedly a slight bit curious, dictated, "That depends on what it is. If it doesn't suit well with me, I'd gladly refuse."

Tamao straightened her back. Tamao spoke more passionately than she ever had before, "Promise me that you'll always protect Nagisa-chan. Always be there for her, since you're the only one who can save her. But most of all promise me that you'll never make Nagisa cry _ever again_! If you make this promise, my heart… can… finally le-…"

Suddenly the whole room span around her. She wasn't sure what was happening. Why was she suddenly looking up at the ceiling? Why did her body suddenly feel so light? Why was everything suddenly getting so dark? As her resting body fell, Shino quickly jumped to the rescue and caught her, just barely stopping her from smashing her head into a vase and then the coffee table.

"Poor kid, must have pushed herself too hard. She probably fell out from exhaustion, or mild stress. In any case, resting is the best thing for her. She could probably sleep in one of the extra rooms." Shino prescribed. He gently lifted Tamao up, careful not to hit anything.

"Nice deduction Shino! As expected from a med student at the top of his class!" Shizuma complimented.

"Med. student!" Nagisa repeated out of sheer shock. "How could that be possible? You two are twins right? How could Shino be in university already? You just graduated!"

"Shino went to school in America on a scholarship, and he was able to skip a grade, plus he came back to attend a university in Tokyo right after he graduated. They said he was a genius after all."

"Shino!? A genius?" Nagisa looked over to the boy who was now, rather furiously blushing, his whole face was red.

"You know, you would have skipped a grade too, if you had accepted the scholarship they offered you anyway." Shino pointed out to his sister.

Shizuma attacked Miyuki from behind with a surprise bear hug. Miyuki struggled as Shizuma cooed, "Maybe but, I couldn't just leave Miyuki-chan by herself. Plus Astraea Hill was my paradise, could you imagine what it would have been like without the 'Casanova playgirl of Astraea Hill'! I was quite aware of the nickname, but I liked it so much I let it spread around more!"

Shino chuckled nervously. He said weakly, "That's a strange nickname you had there, sis. I'm almost afraid to ask how you earned it."

She smirked just as slyly as she responded, "Exactly the way you're thinking, Shino."

Chills ran up Shino's spine as he bolted into the hallway with Tamao in his hands. "Wow, even Shino has that kind of imagination!" Shizuma commented.

Miyuki bumped Shizuma on the head and protested, "Don't corrupt him, Shizuma."

…

 _I think after this storm clears up, you should leave._

Mr. Hanazono walked into his bedroom, not knowing what to expect. He met his wife sitting on the bed quietly. In the back of his head, all could hear was the same words echoing over and over.

 _I think after this storm clears up, you should leave._

Right now, he couldn't help but regret what his words.

 _...you should leave…_

Although her head was hung low and she never looked up at him, she knew he was staring at her. She spoke softly with a hint of melancholy in her voice, "You probably want me gone now, right." She stood up revealing a small purse she had been clutching close to her. She bit the bottom of her lip and said, "This is all I need, I'll be leaving now."

Slowly she dragged herself towards the door, barely lifting her feet. It was almost as if she was gliding just above the floor. As her shoulder brushed past Mr. Hanazono's, he just looked over at her, his eyes widened in disbelief. Misora, normally so prideful and tenacious, seemed downtrodden and defeated. It was almost pitiful.

Just as she placed her hand on the door and was about to slip out into the hallway, Mr. Hanazono grabbed her by her waist and pulled her close. He held onto her tightly, like a frightened child would clutch onto his mother sleeve, resting his head on hers.

"Why?", was all she could ask as tears flowed out uncontrollably. There was no mistaking she was happy, unbelievably so, but she wasn't sure if she should be or not.

She could feelhis grip get tighter as he moved his head onto her shoulder. He whispered with a slight tremble in his voice, as if he was trying to stop himself from crying. "I believe in change. I know that somehow we can work things out. I just can't let you go that easy. We're married, you're still a part of this family, and I still love you. I don't want any of that to change."

She felt herself get weak in the knees and as she sank to the floor, Mr. Hanazono slowly descended with her, still embracing her from behind. She wrapped her arm around his and rested her head on his forearm. In the beginning, she was aiming to get him to smile brightly, but in the end, he ended up making her smile in a way she hadn't done in years. This was what true happiness felt like and it completely surrounded her when she was wrapped in his arms.

"I'll change…" she sobbed. "I'll do anything it takes so that we can be a loving family like what you used to have. I love you too and I don't want anything to ruin that."

Mr. Hanazono kissed her ear and whispered, "Thank you, Misora."

"Tetsuro…" she whimpered.

He moved down her neck and kissed it gently before whispering her name again. Each time he descended inch by inch, he'd whisper her name until finally his lips were just above her breast. Just as he was about to move down further, they were disturbed by the creak of the door.

Tristan poked his head through the crevice, "Excuse me but…" Suddenly a slight blush was evident on his cheeks as he examined the situation before him. Immediately he slammed the door and yelled from the other side. "Excuse my intrusion, I'm terribly sorry."

All the two could hear were the diminishing sounds of Tristan's hurried footsteps. Mr. Hanazono sighed, "Guess we should have locked the door."

Seductively his wife answered, "We still can." She traced her finger down his face, ghosting over his neck as she loosened his tie.

…

Tamao's eyes fluttered open. She was in a large room, laying on a rather luxurious bed, even better than the one back at the beach house. Her head was thumping and she felt a bit dazed. She could feel someone's warm hand clasping onto hers. She turned her head to the left and saw a sleeping Nagisa, hand dangling as it barely clung on for dear life. "Nagisa…" she happily whispered.

"So annoying…" she heard a familiar voice speak from the opposite side. "Suddenly fainting on us after kicking up such a fuss."

She turned over to see Shizuma with an annoyed expression on her face. Tamao sat straight up, surprised to see Shizuma sitting at her bedside. _"_ _Then again she probably only stayed to keep an eye on Nagisa_ _"_ Tamao reasoned to herself.

"How long have I been out?"

"I'd say about an hour." Shizuma shrugged.

"Oh…"

"Nagisa fell asleep after about ten minutes of sitting there. She must have been really tired after all that happened today."

Tamao simply giggled since it was something Nagisa would typically do.

"Idiot…", Shizuma sighed. "At least wait for an answer before you fall out."

By this time Shizuma was glaring at Tamao and then at Nagisa, then back to Tamao. She declared, "Hanazono, Shizuma never makes the same mistake twice, I'll assure you of that. I can easily protect my little Nagisa-chan, and I don't plan on hurting her ever again."

At first Tamao was a bit confused, but as she slowly began to process what Shizuma said, she became overjoyed. Cheerfully she exclaimed, "Really!? So it's a promise?"

Shizuma simply nodded. She extended a hand, which Tamao eagerly ignored as she practically leapt out of bed and hugged her. Tamao could barely contain herself, "Thank you Hanazono-san, thank you so much!" Tamao pulled herself back into the bed and smirked, "However, I'm still going to watch over you and Nagisa, to make sure you stick to your promise. I won't forgive you if you don't live up to your word. So feel free to continue to see me as a rival, as I do plan to be very relentless."

Shizuma lifted herself from her chair with all the pride and grace she had back when she was the Etoile. She smirked back at Tamao, "I didn't expect that much to change, but you'll be wasting your time." She walked over to Nagisa and placed her hand on the cherry-head's back. "I told you I take care of what's mine. Nagisa, of course, is at the top of that list."

She gently shook Nagisa awake before scooping her younger lover up in her arms. Slightly dazed Nagisa wiped her eyes and spoke wearily, "Shizuma, don't forget you promised me cake… oh yeah and tea."

Shizuma snickered, "Don't worry we'll get some soon, maybe tomorrow."

Nagisa grumbled, "I don't wanna wait!"

"Wait or you won't get any."

Nagisa pouted as Shizuma carried her out of the room. Tamao giggled, "You can be a bit of a hassle sometimes Shizuma, but you also can be reliable sometimes too. I don't mind handing Nagisa over to you. This might just be fun!"

 **~oOo~**

 **Author's Note:** _Thanks to everyone who stuck with this story! Merry Christmas Eve!_


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